Update 5/18/12: John Pilger on Bradley, UK solidarity, and demands for coverage of Manning’s trial
John Pilger: remember the hero Bradley Manning. While many applaud President Obama for his recent public support for same-sex marriage, journalist and filmmaker John Pilger says we should remember the heroic gay soldier that Obama declared guilty before a trial and continues to imprison for telling the public the truth:
One of America’s true heroes is the gay soldier Bradley Manning, the whistleblower alleged to have provided WikiLeaks with the epic evidence of American carnage in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was the Obama administration that smeared his homosexuality as weird, and it was Obama himself who declared a man convicted of no crime to be guilty.
Who among the fawners and luvvies at Clooney’s Hollywood moneyfest shouted, “Remember Bradley Manning”? To my knowledge, no prominent spokesperson for gay rights has spoken against Obama’s and Biden’s hypocrisy in claiming to support same-sex marriage while terrorising a gay man whose courage should be an inspiration to all, regardless of sexual preference.
Earlier this year, the Support Network’s Rainey Reitman wrote about why she believes LGBT activists should be publicly supporting Bradley Manning. Pilger continues that argument while arguing that Bradley Manning’s freedom, not gay marriage, should be the focus of LGBT activists in the upcoming months. (Read more…)
London demonstrators to march in solidarity with Bradley Manning NATO contingent. In solidarity with the Bradley Manning contingent marching against the NATO summit tomorrow in Chicago, UK supporters will rally at the U.S. embassy in London for the American whistle-blower. WISE (Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English) Up for Bradley Manning has more details. (Read more…)
WISE Up is also planning actions for June 6, in solidarity with Bradley’s next court appearance.
Local newspaper Op-Eds demand more coverage of Bradley Manning trial. Noticing the revealing relative silence from mainstream outlets, various citizens are writing into their local newspapers requesting more coverage of Bradley Manning’s pretrial hearing and impending court martial. Dorothy Schieber writes to the Lebanon Daily News, “I’m writing to call on your paper for increased coverage of Pfc. Bradley Manning’s trial.”
Similarly, Aurthur Dan Gleckler writes to the Baltimore Sun:
Mr. Manning will be in Ft. Meade on June 6th for his next pre-trial hearing. I ask that The Sun and other news media include coverage of this hearing and continue to follow this case in the near future.
This case will have far-reaching implication for future whistle blowers, journalists and activists. I hope you will step up and fill the void by facilitating a conversation about this case.
Time will tell if mainstream journalists will realize those implications and begin to pick up coverage of Bradley’s influential case.
"Annie Leonard with her daughter."
I’m Bradley Manning!!!
I’m an Independent.
I surport civil rights for all.
I’m a white gay male.
I am the 99%.
I am a college student.
I beleive hope will come for everybody.
I “Hate” hate.
I “Love” love.
I beleive in a better day.
I do have faith.
I hope our leaders will learn.
I hope our country will learn.
I AM BRADLY MANNING !!!