The Rule of Law and Why Bradley Manning is Not Unique...?

This is my first post in a while, I have been laying off and trying to restructure my endevours a bit, but a Facebook convo popped up tonight worthy of much consideration.

 I thought I'd blog it out for your enjoyment-and to give you some trivial info that may be useful in a future arguments with idiots (not to say any of the parties here are idiots)

I saw this picture on FB tonight and it compelled me to re post and pontificate as if I know everything-this is an amalgamation of the post and subsequent comments and correspondence-names are changed to protect the innocent.

VM: "While I will stipulate that Manning's actions may warrant a court martial, many facts about the case are not evident in the mainstream media-especially the facts about Dan Choi being assaulted at Manning's preliminary hearing... Google it...."

(Consider it homework. I am not going to spend any more time explaining something that should have been front page fucking news for weeks.)



".....It is disgusting-and will probably cost a bunch of tax-dollars in a lawsuit.

   I don't mean to get up on a high horse about this-especially considering that I never served in the military, but:
He (Manning),( apparently) went up the chain of command about his concerns (allegedly all the way to the White House) and got nothing. There is also the fact that Ft. Meade is named after a relative of mine. General Meade, after risking his life breaking the back of the Confederate Army at Gettysburg, was fired (in part) because he refused to engage in actions he deemed to be excessively brutal.
If that isn't irony I don't know what is."

Response from L: "oh come on ####. the guys who massacre civilians get off w a pat on the wrist. and Manning deserves a court martial? my ass."


My response:
That and You are Probably an Idiot

" ‎...I mean TECHNICALLY. His defense is based upon the UCMJ law that exempts soldiers from carrying out orders they consider unlawful. The trial may wind up working in his favor (as long as we keep paying attention). There was a trial back in '04-'05 of a sailor based at Coronado Island who refused to report for duty on a troop transport bound for Iraq because he stated the war was illegal. I heard about this from Ring of Fire's radio show.
I can't recall the exact outcome, but he wasn't dumped in a hole for life-in fact I think he finished his enlistment."
Thus ensued a little research and an email to 'L': ....(BTW, more of your homework involves  researching the sailor and his fate-I don't have time and part of the purpose of this blog is to motivate action on the part of the reader....)

VM:  "HAH! The plot-soup is thickened with massive amounts of PURE IRONY!
Let me take the time to word this for proper dramatic effect:
   The ship he refused to board was the U.S.S. Bonne Homme Richard..... On July 3rd 1971 Admiral George S. Morrison spoke at the decommissioning ceremony for the previous "Bonny Dick"...the flagship and his command vessel while he was the commander of U.S. Naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Yes, THAT Gulf of Tonkin.
Yes, he was the commander of U.S. Naval forces at the time of 'The Incident'.
Why do I mention the exact date of the ceremony?
Because it was the same day that Adm. Morrison's son, Jim was found dead in a Paris bathtub.
Yep.
One of Adm. Morrison's last assignments was to be in charge of the Navy's overseeing of the Boat People refugees from Saigon in '75.
That is an irony club sandwich with two Bic-Macs and a vegetarian corn-dog in the middle.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/dec2004/navy-d10.shtml
 Who's your (most humble, loving, and appreciative) Daddy?"

Link to referenced article below.
Please note that I have previously tried to source and verify all information and it is accurate to the best of my ability and knowledge-if you have evidence to refute this PLEASE let me know!...just make sure it is confirmible or I will use voodoo dolls to make your life a living 'Hell'.



"  US sailor refuses deployment to Iraq in protest against war www.wsws.org On December 6, as his ship was setting out for Iraq, Naval Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes refused to board the vessel out of opposition to the war. In doing so, Paredes joined the ranks of military personnel who have spoken out against the invasion of Iraq and the US military’s conduct of the..."

 VM: " I am not sure if I can explain WHY it is good...but the Manning Case is NOT the first...BTW, Dan Choi was in the same unit as Manning. Let me know what you want me to post and I will. I want to make it CLEAR I support Manning, but I believe with the right amount of pressure he MIGHT get a fair trial-which would, win or lose, would be a disaster for the Assholes..."