Gay people have worked so hard to get past all the nonsense and prejudice against them, especially the notion that they couldn’t be trusted in sensitive positions, it’s kind of an appalling defense. I’m sure this is doing a lot to help the public perception of gays in the military as stable, trustworthy people.
It’s difficult to get the full picture from one article, but it sounds more like they’re blaming DADT and/or homophobic attitudes in the military. Which, to me, is not the same as blaming it on his being gay.
Of course the anti-gay types will still try to spin it as “the queers can’t be trusted” and use it as an argument for reinstating DADT, even if logically it supports the opposite position.
Look, the guy has to use any and every possible defense to keep from spending the rest of his life in prison, and they can shorten that life by many years if they want to. It doesn’t have to make sense or mean anything. I wouldn’t draw conclusions from something someone says to save their life.
IMO astro’s not questioning Manning’s motivation or trial tactics. He’s questioning the adverse side effect this will have on the rest of the whole gays in the military flail.
“DADT ruined my mental health” isn’t nearly the same thing as “being gay made me untrustworthy.”
Well I think even the partial gays can figure out the motive here.
I don’t have a dog in this fight, and I definitely don’t want to start a hijack or quibble, but I’m not understanding who you think is supposed to be able to figure out who’s motives. Or what those motives are. But I admit I’m dense that way.
Look, BM is never going to have to select his breakfast menu ever again. I do not think that is justice, I do not think that is right, but I do think that is what is going to happen.
He did what he did because he decided to do it. He was not forced, he was not blackmailed.
Have you ever “signed on” to a top secret clearance? It is quite the little ceremony. They tell you that if you violate your agreement, they will come down on you like a ton of bricks. This is simply to discourage other people from doing the same.
He knew what he was getting into. He did what he did anyway. Just like Jonathan Pollard, keeping him in jail, keeping him in people’s minds serves the government’s purpose.
Sort of a shame, but there it is.
Pretty sure he was just poking fun at the phrase “whole gay”.
That’s all it was.
I find the combination of “don’t ASK don’t TELL” and a top SECRET security clearance rather ironic.
I don’t know why it matters what his defense is; that boy will never see the light of day ever, ever again. He’ll die in chains and it should surprise absolutely no one. I certainly don’t condone his treatment but the idea that he may be set free in any context – even let into a minimum security facility – is never gonna happen.
If there are reasonable factors that affected his mental state, and I was the judge, I wouldn’t sentence him to more than 50 years. If I was him, I would have found a way to kill myself already.
What a bunch of authoritarian savages you sound like. Is this really the culture that our laws and order are built on and pay obeisance too?
Sorry, but what?!?! Should we just randomly expose all military secrets because we have some faults? Do you think this guy should go free?
D’oh!! :smack:
Seems pretty obvious now that you explain it. Thanks.
Nice strawman. It can’t be that she thinks some of the people in this thread are over the top with the bloodlust on the guy.
What bloodlust? This guy has committed treason. It’s pretty open and shut. And he hasn’t provided a coherent reason why he did it. I didn’t hear about any war crimes being exposed. It was just a random assortment of data he had sworn to keep secret, and he violated that oath. Do you think he had some sort of reasonable justification for his actions? Do you think there is any chance he would be found innocent, or not sentenced to a very lengthy term in prison?
PLAN TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT
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Release a “random assortment of data.”
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???
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TREASON!
He’s a bottom SECRET.