The price that we have to pay: a tribute a brave and noble soul

I am writing this line to issue my sincerest admiration and highest salute to Bradley/Chelsea Manning.

Said person is such a valiant individual that stood and fought for the truth, justice and freedom of information even to the point of facing long term of imprisonment.

It is pointless to narrate here the circumstances of his/her arrest, unjust incarceration that includes solitary confinement, torture, trial and sentencing. The whole world knows about it and eagerly awaits each new development with regard to this international celebrated case.

What is necessary is to unceasingly continue to bring into the attention of the global public the injustices that he/she suffered and the bravery that he/she has shown all throughout the most difficult time of his/her life at the hands, ironically of his/her comrades-at-arms.

That is my view is the most important thing, because that indisputably show in the higher and ultimate sense the meaning of his/her life and the principles and values that he/she fought and struggled for — not only for America but also for the world.

The principles and values that I am referring to that Manning has shown and demonstrated for us are the following:

Humanism: Bradley/Chelsea has proven us and the world that all is not lost for America. That not all Americans are murderers and heartless! His/her selflessness, his/her act of doing the right thing even if he/she will end up in jail and dishonorably discharged from the service has shown us his/her humanity.

Taking about a man who was fired upon indiscriminately: this is what Manning said in his/her personal statement before the rubbish court that is trying his case:

“The individual apparently dies shortly thereafter. Reading this, I can only think of how this person was simply trying to help others, and then he quickly finds he needs help as well. To make matter worse, in the last moments of his life, he continues to express his friendly gesture – only to find himself receiving this well known gesture of unfriendliness. For me it’s all a big mess, and I am left wondering what these things mean, and how it all fits together. It burdens me emotionally.”

Justice and Compassion: his/her act of giving and transmitting to the Wikileaks those so-called classified videos, data, information and documents that clearly depicts the inexplicable barbarism, indescribable inhumanity and massive atrocities being committed by his/her own government has shown to us and the whole world his/her sense of justice and compassion to those poor people.

As Manning him/herself stated, again in a personal statement before the stupid military kangaroo court:

“They dehumanized the individuals they were engaging and seemed to not value human life by referring to them as quote “dead bastards” unquote and congratulating each other on the ability to kill in large numbers. At one point in the video there is an individual on the ground attempting to crawl to safety. The individual is seriously wounded. Instead of calling for medical attention to the location, one of the aerial weapons team crew members verbally asks for the wounded person to pick up a weapon so that he can have a reason to engage. For me, this seems similar to a child torturing ants with a magnifying glass.”

The right of the people to know the truth: his/her act of divulging, exposing and revealing to the American people and the rest of the global community the extent of the damage, destruction and chaos being done and still being committed by his/her government has opened the eyes of the people of the world to the preposterous, ridiculous, absurdity, injustices and lies of the United States government and its bloody military.

Manning again and again told the bloody court hearing his/her case that his/her sole intention in releasing the video and other so-called classified information is to open the eyes of the nation, to have a meaningful debate and to provoke a reasonable and human discourse with regard to the whole conduct of the war.

As Manning courageously confessed, boldly and categorically stated in his/her statement shortly after he/she was sentenced to serve 35 years in jail:

“It was not until I was in Iraq and reading secret military reports on a daily basis that I started to question the morality of what we were doing. It was at this time I realized in our efforts to meet this risk posed to us by the enemy, we have forgotten our humanity. We consciously elected to devalue human life both in Iraq and Afghanistan. When we engaged those that we perceived were the enemy, we sometimes killed innocent civilians. Whenever we killed innocent civilians, instead of accepting responsibility for our conduct, we elected to hide behind the veil of national security and classified information in order to avoid any public accountability.

“In our zeal to kill the enemy, we internally debated the definition of torture. We held individuals at Guantanamo for years without due process. We inexplicably turned a blind eye to torture and executions by the Iraqi government. And we stomached countless other acts in the name of our war on terror.”

He/she has shown us the double face and hypocrisy not only of Obama, but of his/her government.
Courage and Dignity: Manning shown us that courage does not mean the absence of fear but rather it is the presence of fear yet the will to go on regardless of the dire consequences and irrespective of the bleak outcome.

As Manning said, again in the same statement addressed to Obama:

“I understand that my actions violated the law, and I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. I only wanted to help people. When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.

“If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society. I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal.”

I overwhelmingly concur with Manning in his/her quotation from Professor Howard Zinn that, indeed:

“There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”

I join the international community of global responsible citizens in condemning the unjust and unfair manner of the trial conducted by the US government against him/her! Imagine Manning will go to jail for speaking the truth and revealing to us the brutal realities of the war!

What a mockery and travesty of justice!

Yet honestly speaking, looking at the events and things more closely, in another sense, I am not surprised!

Why? If those people can do such an illegal and immoral act against him/her, with more reason then that, it is but normal and just for his/her own government and their cold-bloodied military to kill indiscriminately, heartlessly and arbitrarily innocent peoples, women and children of Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.

Needless to state, he/she is my man! Kudos to you, for your beautiful and bold heart! You are truly a good and noble human being! May the Heavens always be with you!

To quote the words of the great Dr. Cornel West:

“My dear brother Bradley Manning – and from now on sister Chelsea Manning – I still salute your courage, honesty and decency. Morality is always deeper than the law. My presence at your trial yesterday inspires me even more!”

In my view, brother Bradley, now sister Chelsea, you are one of the most beautiful, brave and valiant complete human being that I’ve known in my life! You are truly and without a doubt, a humanist and a kind being of justice, compassion and the truth!

In the moving and stirring words of Seráh Blain

“At the heart of Humanism is the idea that human beings deserve to be treated with dignity, to have their autonomy respected, and to be regarded equally regardless of immaterial differences that have no bearing on one’s value — such as color, class, gender, and so forth.”

Nonetheless, I completely agree with you, my dear brother/sister that in order for us to live in a just, a fair and a true human society — we have to pay a heavy price, because the price of freedom is eternal vigilance and that indeed, freedom is the recognition of necessity!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

WE ARE WITH YOU — UNTIL THE END! KEEP THE FAITH!!!!

Jose Mario Dolor De Vega

Philosophy lecturer

College of Arts and Letters
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

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