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For most Americans, someone who betrays their country and puts the lives of our troops in danger is considered a traitor.
In Berkeley, that person — Bradley Manning — is considered a hero.
An Army private jailed for allegedly leaking sensitive military data is a hero and should be freed, according to a resolution under consideration by the Berkeley City Council.
The council is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to declare its support for Pfc. Bradley Manning, who’s suspected of providing WikiLeaks with classified military documents and a video depicting an Army helicopter attack in Baghdad in which 11 civilians were killed.
Manning, 22, currently in the brig in Quantico, Va., faces 52 years in prison if convicted. Manning has not commented on his guilt or innocence.
“If he did what he’s accused of doing, he’s a patriot and should get a medal,” said Bob Meola, the Berkeley peace and justice commissioner who authored the resolution. “I think the war criminals should be the ones prosecuted, not the whistle-blowers.”
The proposed resolution originated from the same commission that declared the Marine Corps “unwanted intruders” in Berkeley in 2008. The council’s ensuing approval – and reversal – ignited some of the city’s most raucous protest in years and prompted more than 25,000 e-mails to City Hall.
This time, however, the commission’s vote was not unanimous. The resolution passed on a 7-3 vote, and it’s likely to be just as contentious when it meets the City Council.
… Berkeley’s proposed resolution thanks Manning “for his courage in bringing the truth to the American people and the people of the world.”
The courage of the men and women in uniform currently defending the freedom of the Berkeley buffoons doesn’t matter. Berkeley moonbats have a long history of attacking the military, and the Marine Corps in particular. When a Marine Corps recruiting center opened in Berkeley, all hell broke loose, with Code Pink leading the way. The center was vandalized twice. Protestors started a near riot and attacked the police. The same commission looking to honor Bradley Manning passed a resolution, along with the City Council, calling the Marines “uninvited unwelcome intruders”.
Considering Berkeley’s anti-military history, it’s not altogether surprising that they would choose to honor someone like Bradley Manning. What exactly did Bradley Manning do that was do despicable? Well, he is allegedly the person who gave Wikileaks access to thousands upon thousands of files which have been released and are potentially harmful to our military.
The first to debut was the “Collateral Murder” video, which showed the deaths of two Reuters journalists who had chosen to embed with terrorists. This caused a firestorm of controversy against our military, which was once again smeared and slandered as being made up of ruthless, cold-blooded murderers.
Wikileaks then proceeded to release 90,000 pages of classified documents, which outed Afghan informants. This was unforgivable. The bravery of our United States troops is known and appreciated by most Americans, but many underestimate the danger that Afghan civilians put themselves in when they choose to work with us to bring the Taliban down. These informants, if discovered, will be murdered. Their families will be murdered. They took an incredible risk, and displayed unbelievable courage and bravery, and were rewarded by being sold out by a gay soldier who apparently felt like he was teased too much. (Because, you know, if someone hurts your feelings in high school you should definitely betray your country, put your fellow troops at increased risk, and sell out Afghan informants whose lives are on the line.) It’s reprehensible, and if any of these informants are killed, it’s Bradley Manning who has their blood on his hands.
Of course, saying all of this is like preaching to the choir. Most Americans find Manning’s actions to be despicable. Not the residents of Berkeley, however. No, to them Manning’s a hero. Someone to be honored. (This is also likely to be the only time that Berkeley ever sees fit to honor an American soldier.) Interestingly, this news report comes fresh on the heels of the news that Al Jazeera is now going to be broadcast over Berkeley radio waves.
These people don’t just drink the moonbat Kool-Aid, they bathe in it.
James says: Hello Cassy,
As you know, the documents which have been released by wikileaks give evidence of what we have known for a long time – that our government has been lying to us and using a regime of secrecy to bully other countries into following our orders. Our government`s intentions are not in bringing democracy to the world, as they claim. But it is to rule the world with force, and to destroy anyone who stands in our way.
As can be seen with the hysteria in the last two weeks over the released diplomatic documents, government officials are threatened by the idea that their crimes will be revealed: their participation in the Honduras coup, their meddling in the court cases to bring torturers to justice in Spain and Germany, and the collusion with Shell in Nigeria in government corruption to exploit Nigeria`s resources.
For these reasons and more, Bradley Manning is a true hero for blowing the whistle on our government`s crimes, and deserves our support and most of all his freedom.
I`m sure that if you examine the evidence, you will find this to be the case.
Respectfully,
James
Valerie says: Bradley Manning would be a hero if he blew the whistle on real corruption rather than recklessly and irresponsibly sent files to an an organization that is increasingly proving itself willing and able to commit blackmail on a global scale and international terrorism. He also violated the privacy and confidentiality of innocent civilians who only wanted to help take out the Taliban and put their lives on the line. Freedom of speech and freedom of information do not come at the expense of other people’s rights to life and privacy.
And in that “collateral murder” video, the greatest crime I saw committed there was by one of the men who was killed. Instead of getting his children to safety, he deliberately drove into an active war zone with them, putting them in danger and showing callous disregard for their lives. And idiots called this poor excuse of a father a “good samaritan.”
Calling Berkley whacko is too easy. Let’s find a reason to call them sane for a change.
No, I don’t have a reason, just saying that’s a more challenging task…
“For most Americans, someone who betrays their country and puts the lives of our troops in danger is considered a traitor.”
Calling our military leaders and generals is not patriotic. (sorry I got confused US military leaders are not like most Americans)
Military leaders have only released 500 insurgent prisoners to go back and kill or troops.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Karen Davis, a spokeswoman in Kabul, told The Washington Examiner “nearly 500 detainees held in the [detention facility in Parwan] have been released outright or transferred to the [Afghan government] for disposition under Afghan law” so far this year.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/2010/12/catch-and-release-taliban-fighters-afghanistan-angers-troops#ixzz17dOHXkE9
They took an incredible risk, and displayed unbelievable courage and bravery, and were rewarded by being sold out by a gay soldier who apparently felt like he was teased too much.
Please do not say anything derogatory about Gays in the military.
Over 70 percent of the military say that gays in the military would have a positive or mixed effect.
Our most important military figures in history were gay. George Washington, Grant, Patton , etc. If you do not believe that give it about 5 years and the history books will say it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101127/ap_on_re_us/us_gays_in_military
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