I Am Bradley Manning

Good evening everyone!

If you are reading this, you probably have some knowledge of what has happened tonight regarding the ongoing Bradley Manning case, but I'm going to reiterate it anyway. Tonight, Judge Lind finally passed the verdict on Bradley, and he has been found guilty of 19 charges, including five charges of espionage and theft. Crucially however, he was acquitted of 'aiding the enemy'. His sentence hasn't been passed yet; there is no minimum sentence, but the maximum sentence is 136 years (why they apparently expect him to live that long is beyond me, to be honest.)

Obviously this is quite disappointing; we were all hoping that he would be acquitted, especially given the appalling way that he has been treated up until now. While I did not think it was particularly likely that he would be acquitted, it does not stop me from being disappointed and angry with this decision.

However, I do think that some progress has been made. The one drop of hope in a stormy sea is that the authorities have admitted that Bradley Manning did not aid the enemy. I feel that this is the clincher; once something like that has been conceded, it restores hope that there is more progress to come. I think that Bradley's defence lawyer David Coombs spoke it best when he said, 'We won the battle, now we need to go win the war.' I'm not going to stop campaigning. There is so much more that can be done (some suggestions of how you can help below). We are Bradley's supporters. Together we stand as one on his behalf. He will not stop fighting, and neither will we.

Bradley's family released this statement this afternoon

'While we are obviously disappointed in today's verdicts, we are happy that Judge Lind agreed with us that Brad never intended to help America's enemies in any way. Brad loves his country and was proud to wear its uniform. 

We want to express our deep thanks to David Coombs, who has dedicated three years of his life to serving as lead counsel in Brad's case. We also want to thank Brad's Army defense team, Major Thomas Hurley and Captain Joshua Tooman, for their tireless efforts on Brad's behalf, and Brad's first defense counsel, Captain Paul Bouchard, who was so helpful to all of us in those early confusing days and first suggested David Coombs as Brad's counsel.

Most of all, we would like to thank the thousands of people who rallied to Brad's cause, providing financial and emotional support throughout this long and difficult time, especially Jeff Paterson and Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network. Their support has allowed a young army private to defend himself against the full might of not only the US army but also the US government.'

So, what can I do to help, do I hear you ask? Well to start with, you can get in touch with Major Jeffrey Buchanan. He is the Convening Court Martial for Bradley's trial, and has the authority to lessen Bradley's sentence, whatever he is charged with. You should remind him of the following points:

-That Bradley was held for nearly a year in abusive solitary confinement, which the UN torture chief called 'cruel, inhuman and degrading'.

-That President Obama has unlawfully influenced the trial with his declaration of Bradley Manning's guilt.

-That the media has been continually blocked from transcripts and documents related to the trial, and that it has only been through the efforts of Bradley Manning's supporters that any transcripts exist.

-That under the UCMJ, a soldier has the right to a speedy trial, and that is was unconscionable to wait three years before starting the court martial

-That absolutely no one was harmed by the release of documents that exposed war crimes, unnecessary secrecy and disturbing foreign policy.

-That Bradley Manning is a hero who did the right thing when he revealed the truth about wars that are based on lies.

I have already been in touch with Major Buchanan, and I'd request that anyone reading this does the same. His email address is jeffrey.s.buchanan@us.army.mil.

The other thing that you can do is to assist RootsAction with their petition to award Bradley the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. At the moment, they are taking donations to deliver their petition in person to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. I admit that this is something that I have not done - I'm not earning, so am not currently in a position to be able to donate - but anyone who is able to, please chip in what you can. Receiving this prize will be a key stepping-stone to ensuring his freedom. Bradley is counting on you.

In my opinion, Bradley Manning is today's incarnation of the heroism which was once served by Nelson Mandela. Apart from the obvious things, there are two things in particular that strike me as things that Nelson and Bradley share. Firstly, Nelson was not demotivated by his time in prison, and came out as strong as ever and ready to fight. From what I've heard, Bradley is still the same man he always has been. The other thing is that many South Africans feel a personal bond with Mandela, almost as if he was a member of their own family. With Bradley, we go a step further than that. We feel that we are literally him. We share his suffering and his pain, and we will share his relief when he is released and hailed as the hero that he is. Please join me in holding him in your thoughts, and remembering that he is Bradley Manning. I am Bradley Manning. You are Bradley Manning. We are Bradley Manning.

I'm going to leave you with two things. Firstly this lovely video of the Haitians standing with Bradley. Secondly, a rather beautiful quote from The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. I've used this passage before, and I think it is very appropriate here. Thanks for reading my blog. I love you all.

Later on, when the Russian stranger had been made comfortable for the night, Mother came into the girls' room. She was to sleep there in Phyllis's bed, and Phyllis was to have a mattress on the floor, a most amusing adventure for Phyllis. Directly Mother came in, two white figures started up, and two eager voices called:

"Now, Mother, tell us all about the Russian gentleman."

A white shape hopped into the room. It was Peter, dragging his quilt behind him like the tail of a white peacock.

"We have been patient," he said, "and I had to bite my tongue not to go to sleep, and I just nearly went to sleep and I bit too hard, and it hurts ever so. Do tell us. Make a nice long story of it."

"I can't make a long story of it tonight," said Mother; "I'm very tired."

Bobbie knew by her voice that Mother had been crying, but the others didn't know.

"Well, make it as long as you can," said Phil, and Bobbie got her arms round Mother's waist and snuggled close to her.

"Well, it's a story long enough to make a whole book of. He's a writer; he's written beautiful books. In Russia at the time of the Czar one dared not say anything about the rich people doing wrong, or about the things that ought to be done to make poor people better and happier. If one did one was sent to prison."

"But they can't," said Peter; "people only go to prison when they've done wrong."

"Or when the Judges think they've done wrong," said Mother. "Yes, that's so in England. But in Russia it was different. And he wrote a beautiful book about poor people and how to help them. I've read it. There's nothing in it but goodness and kindness. And they sent him to prison for it. He was three years in a horrible dungeon, with hardly any light, and all damp and dreadful. In prison all alone for three years."

Mother's voice trembled a little and stopped suddenly.

"But, Mother," said Peter, "that can't be true now. It sounds like something out of a history book — the Inquisition, or something."

"It was true," said Mother; "it's all horribly true. Well, then they took him out and sent him to Siberia, a convict chained to other convicts — wicked men who'd done all sorts of crimes — a long chain of them, and they walked, and walked, and walked, for days and weeks, till he thought they'd never stop walking. And overseers went behind them with whips — yes, whips — to beat them if they got tired. And some of them went lame, and some fell down, and when they couldn't get up and go on, they beat them, and then left them to die. Oh, it's all too terrible! And at last he got to the mines, and he was condemned to stay there for life — for life, just for writing a good, noble, splendid book."

"How did he get away?"

"When the war came, some of the Russian prisoners were allowed to volunteer as soldiers. And he volunteered. But he deserted at the first chance he got and — "

"But that's very cowardly, isn't it" — said Peter — "to desert? Especially when it's war."

"Do you think he owed anything to a country that had done that to him? If he did, he owed more to his wife and children. He didn't know what had become of them."

"Oh," cried Bobbie, "he had them to think about and be miserable about too, then, all the time he was in prison?"

"Yes, he had them to think about and be miserable about all the time he was in prison. For anything he knew they might have been sent to prison, too. They did those things in Russia. But while he was in the mines some friends managed to get a message to him that his wife and children had escaped and come to England. So when he deserted he came here to look for them."

"Had he got their address?" said practical Peter.

"No; just England. He was going to London, and he thought he had to change at our station, and then he found he'd lost his ticket and his purse."

"Oh, do you think he'll find them? — I mean his wife and children, not the ticket and things."

"I hope so. Oh, I hope and pray that he'll find his wife and children again."

Even Phyllis now perceived that mother's voice was very unsteady.

"Why, Mother," she said, "how very sorry you seem to be for him!"

Mother didn't answer for a minute. Then she just said, "Yes," and then she seemed to be thinking. The children were quiet.

Presently she said, "Dears, when you say your prayers, I think you might ask God to show His pity upon all prisoners and captives."

"To show His pity," Bobbie repeated slowly, "upon all prisoners and captives. Is that right, Mother?"

"Yes," said Mother, "upon all prisoners and captives. All prisoners and captives."