Comments on: Psychologists for Social Responsibility open letter to Robert Gates on Manning’s confinement

By: Alice Shaw

Alice Shaw — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:16:41 +0000

To educate the public and appeal for justice and compliance with basic human rights under national and international law is crucial. How many Americans are turning a blind eye to the kind of illegal and unethical abuse to which Private Manning is being subjected within our national borders?

By: Whitey Bulger

Whitey Bulger — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:06:42 +0000

@Nikki: Can you pardon someone who hasnt been convicted of a crime? When did that rule change? Sheesh…I need to keep up!

By: carolyn sylvester

carolyn sylvester — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 04:01:14 +0000

May our Lord Jesus be in his cell with him, we pray a miracle healing of his body and mind all for the Glory of the Lord who is able to all things. Lord send ministering angels to his side. Thank you Jesus . He says He will never leave you or forsake you. I pray for the enemy to be convited of the horrible things done to Manning. that he has a change of command. RELEASE is the word. We all must pray for this young man. That our President moves quickly.

By: Campbell Lindsay

Campbell Lindsay — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:10:26 +0000

The majority of our govornment are hypocrites. This is a violation of human rights, for which we fought numerous wars, and is what our govornment SHOULD stand for, but does act accordingly . He shouldn’t be in confinement. His imprisoners should be!
Hang in there Brad

By: william j gilson

william j gilson — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:57:03 +0000

As a US Navy veteran of the Korean War I commend you on your letter to Sec.Gates on behalf of Bradlley Manning on his cruel & inhumane treatment. As a Veteran For Peace I spend my life working on the torture issue at Guantanamo and inside US prisons.I am not alone in believing that these methods constitute torture. Continue to speak out-even if your voice shakes! bill gilson veterans for peace. chpt.034 nyc.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:46:00 +0000

This is completely hypocritical of the US. We charge the cogs of the Nazi Party with death for following orders, when we argue that they should have disobeyed them because they were fundamentally wrong, yet we prosecute PFC Manning for doing the exact opposite under conditions that aren’t too far off from what the defendants in the Nuremburg Trials faced? Everything the US has said in its defense of the sickening treatment of PFC Manning is clearly showing its lack of respect for democracy and the system our founding fathers implemented. The Constitution was meant to be revised periodically-I say we add a clause specifically for our nation protecting whistleblowers. Maybe next time, we won’t have another Iraq or Vietnam.

By: Judith

Judith — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:22:10 +0000

Bradley Manning is one of 50,000 people in our prisons who is being held in solitary confinement, although I do not know if they are deprived moving around in the day time to do exercise, or a blanket and pillow on his bed. He is being psychologically tortured hoping that he will not be able to aid in his own defense. I have great sympathy for him.
It is interesting that Obama will go to bat for Michael Vick the pit bull fighter who hung or shot the losing dogs after making them fight until their skin was ripped off, and often killed during the fight while the attendees cheered for more blood to support his getting his position back with the Eagles and go to bat for his having another dog. But Obama does not care about the children in Gaza who were dying when he came into office, nor does he care about them now. He has never spoken out against the crimes that Israel commits with our governments permission and nod and $3billion a year in foreign aid to one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
WikiLeak records may very well expose the career criminals who have a tight hold on our government. If Manning had anything to do with it, he would deserve a metal of honor. Did Daniel Ellsberg to to prison under these conditions, no, because our government has become the mean violator of human rights. Obama promised our rights restored that were illegally and criminally taken under a false pretences in the Patriot Act. I donated to his candidacy, and voted for him under the promises he made. It should be criminal to lie about your intentions to get elected, when you have no intentions of fulfilling them.
Yet, here is poor Manning being treated in my opinion illegally in a military jail. The Wikileaks which Manning may or may not have had anything to do with since he has not had the benefit of a trial can rot in jail if Mrs. Clinton, Gates, and Obama can arrange it.
Maybe you can have someone pull his toenails off which would give some of the pro torture people some feelings of power. Frankly, as a 68year old woman I am terrified at what our government has become and what they are willing to do.
This is indeed a very sad day in American history because we all know that we have been overtaken by a bloodless coup when the Supreme Court appointed GW Bush as President before Florida could complete their count.
You want to add me to your terrorist list for writing this, do what you feel necessary. I am so ashamed of my country in front of the whole world, and know that they have lost respect for us. You have put us in grave danger of invasion because of the more than a million lives you have taken without cause and without regret. The wrong person is in jail.

By: Silver Wolf

Silver Wolf — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:59:14 +0000

Really? US citizens being held under control by terror?

Isn’t that called dictatorship?

By: Foggy

Foggy — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:48:32 +0000

It’s easy to see what the people want! No one wants this kind of shit going on. Like Celia says, Mannings situation is far from a rare one! But whilst we know what’s right, and we know what should be happening in these scenarios, it’s the government, the people in control, that want to keep the truth away from us.

Fuck that, and fuck them! If you’ve just been assassinated, or you’ve been shoved into prison, it would seem your on the right tracks to doing a good thing! Mannings is a true hero. And although it wouldn’t see that way if you believed the daily newspapers, that is a very rare trait in the army. In fact, it’s getting pretty damn rare in the whole world.

Well I haven’t got the power to do anything about it, it’s true. But if you are the Vice President or someone high up on politics and you’re reading this-you do have the power! You can do something about it, and until people truly stand up to it, the real hero’s are gonna keep getting arrested or shot. This is FAR from what Bradley deserves!

Keep it real
x

By: Celia Harrison

Celia Harrison — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:20:50 +0000

Do they send these letters for the thousands of others held in these kinds of conditions and much worse in the prisons in the U.S.? Manning gets some things others don’t. This kind of treatment is horrendous for everyone, we should be protesting all over the country about what goes on in the justice system and prisons.