It is a sad day in America: the Statue of Liberty on Staten Island has a tear in her eye.
Not only is it a tragic day for Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was sentenced this morning to spend 35 years of his young life in prison, but it is also gloomy for everyone who believes in the free flow of information about what our government is doing FOR us and TO us.
We blogged about this in detail this morning at
Manning sentence: A sad day for America and press freedom
Manning has paid a high price for whistleblowing.
But he is not the only one.
President Obama came into office pledging transparency and professing admiration for government workers who expose abuses.
But his administration has pursued more cases under the 1917 Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined.
Prosecutors made it clear that their intention was not only to punish Private Manning but also to discourage others from leaking information.
Let us hope they fail.
We would be less well off as a nation if the press is no longer able to expose government wrongdoing at every level, and to do so, it needs courageous, honest people on the inside willing to risk it all in the name of patriotism.
Thank you, Bradley Manning.