Bradley Manning...Hero or Not

After receiving numerous comments from every Tom, Dick, and Harry with an overly Federalist viewpoint, I decided to make this piece explaining exactly why I view Pvt Manning as a hero and why his leaks are important.

I've had people tell me that the information Manning leaked is nothing new; that the information was already known to the general public, but if that's the case then why the hell weren't people getting pissed off about it then as they are now?! And what's wrong with the people who can look at the information he leaked and not become outraged and disgusted by the atrocities revealed; insidious webs of lies and corruption spreading all throughout our government and military? Senseless murder of innocent civilians? A completely departure from any sense of humanity? Blatant crimes against humanity in the form of torture, ruthless beatings, and outright murder of detainees (the same shit the Nazis did, by the way)? How anybody can look at that and not be sicken to their core is beyond me. "That's just the way things are." "That's the price of war." "That's how government works."

Honestly, if you're the type of person who can look at the things Manning brought into the public eye and that Snowden brought into the public eye and not become grossly disturbed, not become viciously enraged, if it doesn't send chills down your spine and cause a lump to form in your throat; then you just aren't human. You can't be alive. You have no soul. You are a lifeless, soulless machine programmed to do only what society as engineered you to do, and if that is the case then your opinions matter nil for what business does a device have having an opinion.

In the words of Bradley (Chelsea) Manning, "Without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public." And if the American public can look at the things both Manning and Snowden have brought to light and not be repulsed and driven to action then America is no longer the land of the free and the brave, but the land of the desensitized and demoralized zombies! And if this should regrettable be the truth, I pray America go the same way as Ancient Rome; for any civilization which has neither sense nor soul has no business existing.