Why I think Bradley Manning should do time.

[denverbill]

2. I agree and disagree.

If Manning committed an offense, I think it was the rather over-broad nature of what he exposed. He didn't just release the videotapes. He released TONS of documents, many of which I doubt he had even read. If he had limited the scope of what he released to only documents of illegal acts by the US and/or US employees, I would say he shouldn't have served any time. Given that he seemed to release everything to Wikileaks and leave it to Wikileaks to decide what they would publish, I think makes him guilty to some degree. But given that what's been released so far has done very little harm to the US except for to our image, it's hardly a 35 year crime. I would say a DD and time served.

As a poster noted on another thread, William Calley wiped out an entire village in Vietnam, and spent 3 years in house arrest. Can you imagine if whoever reported that had gotten it from secret documents and been sentenced to 35 years?