October 2013 - Campaign Newsletter

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5 ways to assist PVT Manning post-trial! Our October 2013 campaign newsletter (.pdf) Download, view, print and share our October 2013 campaign newsletter! Dear friend of heroic whistle-blower Private Manning, The outcome of last month’s court martial—while better than the 60 years prosecutors demanded—is an outrage to the idea of justice. Manning’s unjust 35 year sentence was condemned by tens of thousands, including Amnesty International, Cornel West, and Ron Paul. [A] legal system that doesn’t distinguish between leaks to the press in the public interest and treason against the nation will not only produce unjust results, but will deprive the public of critical information that is necessary for democratic accountability. -Ben Wizner, Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project Director, American Civil Liberties Union The next phase in our campaign will ensure that Pvt. Manning does not languish in prison for anywhere near 35 years. With your continued support we’ll be pursuing multiple legal avenues of action that should result in Pvt. Manning’s release sooner than later. The difference between failure and success on each of these efforts rests in part on public support and understanding of the issues involved. It won’t happen overnight, but with democracy, transparency, and the rights of future whistle-blowers on the line, we can’t afford to fail. THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY 1. Donate to the legal efforts and the campaign - Donate today! Since July 2010, we have funded Pvt. Manning’s selected legal team, lead by attorney David Coombs. With your help, we’ve covered 100% of those expenses—over $350,000. Since the verdict, we have already submitted the Presidential Pardon packet on Pvt. Manning’s behalf. Next year, we’ll need to hire a new attorney to argue the case before the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, and later, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. 2. Sign the public petition to President Obama - Sign online or print and share PDF petition Please sign the petition on the reverse side of this letter, “President Obama, Pardon Pvt. Manning,” and make copies to share with friends and family! 3. Write a letter to Convening Authority Maj. Gen. Buchanan Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Convening Authorities are granted the power to reduce or eliminate any sentence. In Pvt. Manning’s case, this person is Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, Commanding General of the Military District of Washington. Review the guidelines here for help with drafting your letter to be included in the formal clemency application (deadline: November 1st). 4) Submit your “Pardon Pvt. Manning” photo online Public support is crucial. Please submit your photo with a personal message online at pardon.privatemanning.org 5) Write Pvt. Manning Pvt. Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning is looking forward to hearing from you. For info about her new chosen name and gender preference, please see the back page of our enclosed newsletter. Please address the outside of the envelope to: Pvt. Bradley E Manning / 89289 / 1300 N Warehouse Rd / Ft Leavenworth KS 66027 Sincerely, Jeff Paterson, Campaign director Emma Cape, Lead campaign organizer Help us continue to cover 100% of PVT Manning's legal fees! Donate today.