I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog …

“Be proud and brave. We support you wherever you may be. Do not be sad, and keep your spirits up. If what you are charged with is proven, well, that is a source of pride for your parents and for America. In view of your age, you have given a lesson in democracy and freedom of expression to all humanity. Keep your spirits up.”

Bourouis is using the familiar or intimate second person singular “tu/te/ton” (now the archaic “thou/thee/thy” form in English, that has now been completely replaced by the second person plural “you/you/your”), rather than the more usual second person plural “vous/vous/votre”. In ordinary circumstances it would be pushy to use this uninvited to an adult stranger, and thus offensive, but here it indicates extending comradeship. While the same distinctions still exist in German, this nuance cannot be translated directly, into modern English at any rate.

These men clearly understand the wisdom, courage and moral backbone it took for a young private, under intense pressure to comply with the demands of his (alleged) superiors, to instead act according to his principles and expose the U.S. military’s war crimes. There is no hint of condescension or evasion in Assange’s responses. He embraces Manning as a brother-in-arms yet makes it clear that they did not know each other or conspire to commit acts of treason or terrorism. The Army can only fabricate evidence because none exists.

Uyger and Assange show that the cruel injustice being done to Pfc Manning by U.S. military and government officials can be done to any of us who stand behind the First Amendment and honor the Golden Rule. In five minutes they get to the crux of the matter. If our alleged leaders had their brains and balls, Brad Manning would be free and engaged in constructive work by now, not wasting his brilliance outmaneuvering a pack of ignoramuses and career criminals. Their impotent rage becomes more apparent daily.

When you give out numbers and names any moron or drunkard could get on the phone and scream and shout at whoever, but what good would that do? They’ll just hang up. No one wants to deal with ridiculous overheated conversation.

I suggest letters as the best form of protest for now. Simply because they can also be used as evidence and such, and it takes a much clearer mind to write a letter than it does to scream at someone over the phone.