Help us continue to cover 100%
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An appeal from Daniel
Ellsberg
During the Vietnam War I worked in the Pentagon under
Robert McNamara. In Vietnam, my background as a Marine officer allowed me to walk
with the troops in combat and see the war up close. What I found was a costly,
immoral war that could not be allowed to continue.
My decision to reveal the top secret Pentagon Papers to the American
public was an act of conscience. These documents showed that we were in a
destructive, wrongful war, and that we had entered that war under false
pretenses. My hope was that, armed with this truth, the American people could
act to end that war.
Today, a young soldier named Bradley Manning faces trial for a similar act
of conscience, and he needs our help. In releasing documents and videos to
the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, PFC Manning made an enormously positive
impact on world events. He revealed the terrifying misdeeds by American and
coalition forces, such as the 2007 Baghdad airstrike that targeted and killed at
least 12 Iraqi civilians. He opened a new pathway for truth and justice to reach
the world, perhaps preventing the next unjust war from ever beginning. He even
helped inspire a new, global movement for openness and democracy, ringing out
from Tahrir Square to Wall Street. To me, and many others, Bradley is a
hero.
Yet,
for his courage, Bradley faces life in prison — much like I did
40 years ago. And just as I was arrested and called a “traitor” by President
Nixon, Bradley’s charges include an accusation of “aiding the enemy,” even
though there is no evidence that any individual was endangered by his
disclosures. Bradley, now 25 years old, is far too young, and has too much to
offer this country to spend the rest of his life in prison. He needs our
support.
That support has worked already. In March of 2011, I proudly got arrested
along with 35 others at the Quantico Marine Base while Bradley was being held
there in solitary confinement.
Bradley had spent nine months in conditions
considered torture by the UN. However, shortly after our protest, with your
help, Bradley was transferred to much more humane conditions in Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas.
Americans who care about the future of our country need to be involved in
Bradley’s defense. The defining issues of the 21st century, including the
transparency and accountability of our government, are at stake. I believe
history is on the side of those who seek to reveal the truth, not on the side of
those who seek to conceal it. But, as my example shows, there are those in
government who rely on crimes and secrets, who will seek to punish him and
dissuade others from offering truth to the American people. Mercifully, the
Vietnam War did end, and many consider the release of the Pentagon Papers to
have helped.
With your assistance, Bradley’s impact can be even
greater.
Help us continue to cover 100%
of Bradley's
legal fees! Donate
today.
The Bradley Manning Support Network has been key in coordinating nationwide
support efforts for Bradley’s defense, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars
from thousands of people. We need money to support ongoing grassroots
efforts—including rallies, petitions, and ads. Most importantly, however, we
need to continue fully funding Bradley’s legal defense efforts—including
possible appeals, all the way up to the US Supreme Court, if need be.
The future of truth-telling is at stake, and a young man’s selfless, heroic
act of patriotism deserves our support.
P.S. If you are one of the 18,000 friends who have
already given to Bradley’s Defense Fund, thank you. On the eve of this historic
trial, I’m asking you now to please give once more, and to give whatever you
can. Your commitment, your creativity, and your energy remain vital, but right
now, we need money as well. This is a crucial time in shaping support and public
discourse in favor of Bradley.
The Bradley Manning Defense Fund, hosted by Courage
to Resist in collaboration with the Bradley Manning Support Network, is
responsible for 100% of Bradley’s legal expenses. Courage to Resist is a program
of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ), a non-profi t organization under
Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Donations are tax-deductible. For more
information, contact Courage to Resist at 510-488-3559.
Help us continue to cover
100%
of Bradley's legal fees! Donate today.
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