Army whistleblower apologizes for any harm done by his release of government information, and asks for opportunity to prove "through actions" that he has more positive things to offer society
Pfc. Bradley Manning spoke on his own behalf during the final sentencing phase of his trial in a military courtroom at Ft. Meade in Maryland on Wednesday. What follows is the transcribed version of his spoken testimony as recorded by the stenographer sponsored by the Freedom of the Press Foundation (via FireDogLake's K. Gosztola):
First, your honour I want to start off with an apology. I am sorry that my actions hurt people. I ?m sorry that they hurt the United States.(Image by Clark Stoeckley under Creative Commons license)At the time of my decisions, as you know, I was dealing with a lot of issues, issues that are ongoing and continuing to effect me. Although a considerable difficulty in my life, these issues are not an excuse for my actions.
I understood what I was doing, and decisions I made. However I did not fully appreciate the broader effects of my actions.
Those factors are clear to me now, through both self-refection during my confinement in various forms, and through the merits and sentecing testimony that I have seen here.
I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions. When I made these decisions I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people.
The last few years have been a learning experience. I look back at my decisions and wonder how on earth could I, a junior analyst, possibly believe I could change the world for the better [?] on decisions of those with the proper authority.
In retrospect I should have worked more aggressively inside the system, as we discussed during the [?] statement, I had options and I should have used these options.
Unfortunately, I can?t go back and change things. I can only go forward. I want to go forward. Before I can do that, I understand that I must pay a price for my decisions and actions.
Once I pay that price, I hope to one day live in a manner that I haven?t been able to in the past. I want to be a better person, to go to college, to get a degree and to have a meaningful relationship with my sister with my sister?s family and my family.
I want to be a positive influence in their lives, just as my Aunt Deborah has been to me. I have flaws and issues that I have to deal with, but I know that I can and will be a better person.
I hope that you can give me the opportunity to prove, not through words, but through conduct, that I am a good person and that I can return to productive place in society. Thank you, Your Honor.
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You have read 1984....?
Even the imagined Winston Smith was "reformed" by the end of his ordeal.
Doublespeak,
What the government says seems to be saying; "This all a big charade, we know Manning did nothing legally wrong, but we're going to take his life anyway....."
What Manning seems to be saying; "I'm at the mercy of FASCISTS, they have tortured me, they could torture me more, they're promising to effectively end some certain part of my life, now can I boot-lick well enough to salvage some remaining piece?".....
It's not like you can blame him, he was really treated worse than animals on death row at the local shelter.... He's literally under the thumb of psycho-robotic fascists.
It's probably a weak argument that would suggest there is anything to be gained by much of anybody by HIM not playing along at this point. The media is controlled there, even if he made some kind of "fuck the system" statement, it's not like it would get heard on any broad scale, or even be beneficial should it....
My god! It sound like the confession of a political prisoner from one of the Soviet area Communist regime after he has been tortured and brain washed for months! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPENING IN MY COUNTRY! DAM IT! WAKE UP USA! WAKE UP! THE CORPORATISTS ARE DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY! Ya, they promised him leniancy if he say some shit like this and they are going to give him 120 years any way right? But you know what? They can give him a 1000 years if they want and he will not matter because we are going to free this man! Mark my word! My advice to any soldier: Don't stand in our way guys when we put in prison your bosses because it will hurt big time. the msm and what i observed, and this was before i was awake to this issue:on one side they had some reports of govt wrongdoing in the war. they didn't say what their sources were and i didn't think much of it at the time.
on the other side they said Bradley Manning is being accused of tratiorous actions. they never said what info he actually leaked, they only said his info put our soldiers in more danger than they already were.
IF they (well, ridiculous to expect this of msm and no i don't), but NOW THAT alternative media has shown me that -this- piece of damning crucial info came from -this- leaker (Manning),
and that -this- leaker is arrested for leaking -this- truthful information,
then i would've known from the very getgo that Manning was never a traitor, and everything he did was good. his apology above is obviously forced, and if he were not being forced to say it, he wouldn't need to apologize for a damn single thing.
God already knows all this. i'm glad i finally now know it. at this rate, alternative media is saving souls; i thank everyone who participates.
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