'Solitary Confinement Is Torture': Ocasio-Cortez Calls for Chelsea Manning's Release

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday demanded the release of U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning and called for a ban on extended solitary confinement.
"Chelsea Manning has been trapped in solitary confinement for refusing to answer questions before a Grand Jury," tweeted the congresswoman from New York. "Solitary confinement is torture. Chelsea is being tortured for whistleblowing, she should be released on bail, and we should ban extended solitary in the U.S."

To read more:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/02/solitary-confinement-torture-ocasio-cortez-calls-chelsea-mannings-release?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=%27Solitary%20Confinement%20Is%20Torture%27%3A%20Ocasio-

[RKP5637]

1. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Blue_Tires]

7. Why does Chelsea Manning deserve freedom when she's obstructing justice?

?

Who knew the poster child for government transparency would just a few years later be breaking bread with Nazis and participating in government scandal cover-ups?

Obama should have left her ass to rot

[RKP5637]

8. Not speaking of freedom, but is solitary confinement really necessary? ... update, someone else

just posted she's not in solitary confinement. Yes, I agree, she is IMO obstructing justice.

[Kurt V.]

2. and reality winner should be released

[MineralMan]

3. AOC, by herself, has no authority to demand anything, actually.

Even if she could muster a majority vote in the House for a resolution, it wouldn't make any difference. Separation of Powers. Manning's confinement is a Justice Department decision. The Legislative Branch can't demand that the Executive Branch do anything. Separate and Equal. Then, there is the Judicial Branch, consisting of the Supreme Court and the other federal courts. It's responsible for deciding in disputes between the Executive and Legislative branches. Right now, it's make-up is decidedly conservative.

So, AOC can demand, but her demands are not actionable.

And that's how it works.

Remember, though: There will be an election in November of 2020 that can change all that. We're going to need to win that election. We're going to need that very badly. Time to get to work!

[mr_lebowski]

27. AOC saying 'she should be A & B' hardly constitutes a 'demand' in her official capacity ...

Thanks for the lesson, though ...

[comradebillyboy]

4. All Manning needs to do is testify as asked.

Does AOC think that we all should be able to defy subpoenas and court orders, or is that exemption only for certain special people like Manning?

[janterry]

5. She is not in jail for whistleblowing and apparently she's not in solitary

She is refusing to testify (not actively whistleblowing....that was her previous activity).

From article:

"Our facility does not have 'solitary confinement' and inmates housed in administrative segregation for safety and security reasons still have access to social visits, books, recreation, and break time outside their cells," Lawhorne said.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/23/politics/chelsea-manning-solitary-confinement-virginia-jail/index.html

I don't know what administrative segregation amounts to in that facility. I'm guessing it's close to solitary? But I don't know the specific rules where she is housed.



Probably all of the attention to her case will uncover what administrative seg. means at her prison. It's usually quite restrictive. So, finding that out is a good thing.

[flotsam]

6. I support AOC's demand

and think it's good for democratic messaging. The trick is to play the equivalency card that the GOP love's and compare Chelsea's case to that of the murderer and war crimes person of interest, Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher who has been released from the brig after Trump violated chain of command protocols to free him while still on trial.

[guillaumeb]

12. An excellent point. eom

[customerserviceguy]

17. Apples and oranges

Manning is confined for contempt of court by a judge, Gallagher is presumed innocent until found guilty.

[Blue_Tires]

9. Dumb...

Sometimes AOC knows the lyrics but she sure as hell doesn't know the music...

I have no idea why she'd spend even an iota of her political capital defending the indefensible... Whatever half-decent but misguided things Manning may have done in the past, she's trash now.

[tymorial]

11. Definitely this

[tymorial]

10. Meh, she can testify

She is obstructing justice. I do generally believe that solitary confinement should only be used in extreme circumstances and for a limited time... With Manning it doesnt have to be this way.

[guillaumeb]

13. So she "deserves" this treatment? eom

[tymorial]

19. I have zero sympathy for her at this point

There was an ambiguity before when she released the classified data. She was both a traitor and a whistleblower and I often had difficulty reconciling the two. For the record I often defended her actions to my wife and others whi came down strongly that she was guilty of treason. I applauded Obama's pardon

As for the current situation, I completely and entirely disagree with her stance on this issue. Given what we know about Wikileaks, their behavior stands in strict contrast to Manning's stated reasons for her leaking of classified information. Further, while I am a firm believer of prison reform, it is not uncommon for high profile prisoners to be placed in adseg for their own protection.

Now, it is absolutely possible the confinement is punitive rather than protective. I am perfectly willing to entertain that. However given that Manning brought this on herself, I have little sympathy for her personally.

[jberryhill]

20. Yes, she does

She's in contempt of a Grand Jury subpoena.

Are you suggesting that responding to those is optional?

Was it optional for anyone who received one from Mueller, or are Grand Jury subpoenae only valid on alternate Wednesdays in your world of "rule of law"?

[guillaumeb]

24. I was speaking of the administrative segregation.

The torture.

[jberryhill]

29. Torture my ass

The moment she decides to comply with a lawful subpoena, she's out.

[guillaumeb]

32. Torture is torture no matter the actions of the victim. eom

[jberryhill]

35. Her actions have nothing to do with it

Administrative segregation is done for a lot of reasons. This is a prisoner, incidentally, with a history of threats of self harm, which was at the bottom of the alleged pre-trial “torture” back in her heyday.

This is “look at me” theater. That’s all this is.

[okaawhatever]

14. Now that we know the article is a lie. Shouldn't you delete this thread? nt

[guillaumeb]

15. Feel free to point out the lies.

[jberryhill]

21. No, AOC is actually taking Manning's side on blowing off a Grand Jury

That's no lie.

[okaawhatever]

16. Okay, here ya go:

"Chelsea Manning has been trapped in solitary confinement

Her facility doesn't even have solitary confinement.

Chelsea is being tortured for whistleblowing

Chelsea isn't in jail for being a whistleblower. She is in jail for contempt of court.


The above info has been reported by CNN, The Guardian, & others.

Ready to remove the thread, or do you want to continue promoting lies?

[jberryhill]

22. It is no lie that AOC is calling for Manning's release

I like AOC. She lost me on this one.

[GulfCoast66]

18. Aside from the facts that the article and OP are factually incorrect.

Manning is not someone I want the Democratic Party to become a defender of.

[jberryhill]

23. Did AOC make this demand or not?

Does this look like a lie to you:

Link to tweet

AOC is 100% full of shit on this one, but the story that she has made this demand is not a "lie".

The article is 100% correct and 100% true that AOC is spouting this bullshit.

[GulfCoast66]

26. Let me rephrase...her statement is factually wrong.

She(Manning) is being held for contempt. Not Whistleblowing. It’s what happens when you defy a lawful order from a judge. And releasing classified information that potentially cost lives is not whistleblowing. It is espionage.

Don’t care enough to research whether the solidarity confinement is correct, although that is not normally possible in jails like in prisons. And FYI; I don’t agree with solitary confinement, but that is not the real issue here.

But my overall point remains. Why would any Democrat think tying ourselves to Manning be a good idea?

[mr_lebowski]

28. AOC says CM is being held for contempt ... it's right at top of what you're responding to.

While also asserting she's being TORTURED ... (i.e. held in solitary) for her Whistleblowing in the past.

[jberryhill]

30. Yes, AOC is wrong on all counts here

Manning is a publicity-seeking nutjob.

[guillaumeb]

33. Torture renamed is still torture. eom

[ck4829]

25. K&R

[Eugene]

31. AP: Chelsea Manning no longer held in segregated status at jail

Chelsea Manning no longer held in segregated status at jail

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Supporters of former Army intelligence Chelsea Manning say she is no longer being kept in administrative segregation at a Virginia jail while she serves an indefinite sentence for refusing to testify to a grand jury.

Manning’s supporters posted on her Twitter account Thursday that the Alexandria jail has adjusted her status after 28 days, placing her with the general population. Her supporters complained administrative segregation amounted to solitary confinement and was unnecessarily cruel.

https://apnews.com/d62b778e9032414aac8488ec6124863e

Link to tweet

[guillaumeb]

34. Excellent.

Pressure accomplished something positive.