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Chelsea Manning will spend at least seven days in solitary confinement for attempting suicide in July:
A military prison disciplinary board has sentenced US whistleblower Chelsea Manning to fourteen days in solitary confinement, her lawyer has said. She will spend seven days in solitary confinement for charges relating to her attempt to kill herself in July. She ended a hunger strike last week, after the military agreed to provide her with gender dysmorphia treatment. The army private, born as Bradley Manning, is serving a 35-year sentence for espionage.
Last July, the former intelligence officer attempted to take her own life, after what lawyers said was the Army's refusal to provide appropriate health care. She was found guilty on Thursday by prison officials in Leavenworth, Kansas, of "Conduct Which Threatens" for her suicide attempt. She also was convicted of having "prohibited property" - the book "Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy," by Gabriella Coleman.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the US Army will grant Chelsea Manning's request for gender transition surgery.
The President of the United States and others believe that constraints must be placed on the practice of solitary confinement. Studies have found that solitary confinement leads to increased risks of self-harm.
(Score: -1, Troll) by jmorris on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:29PM
This is madness on so many levels.
1. Why isn't HE dead already? We used to shoot traitors. When America is great again we will.
2. Who thought it was a good idea to go along with the delusions of the mentally ill? Next guy says he is Napoleon are we supposed to let him rule France? Where do we draw the line? Seriously, the line seems to be moving really fast so is there an actual hard bound?
3. Who decided traitors, who, realistically speaking, aren't ever leaving federal prison in a breathing state, are still entitled to very expensive cosmetic surgery that every reliable study shows is more likely to do more harm than good? Just what sort of madman decided we are is such a post scarcity world that such things are "rights". Who gave them this authority and how do we end it?
4. Why are we concerned if he wants to kill himself?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:38PM
You're complaining that Manning will receive sex change surgery? Think about it this way:
When was the last time the US got to cut a traitor's dick off? Also, a neutered Manning will be a docile Manning.
If only the US could do this more often...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:49PM
> You guys wonder Why TRump? This is why.
>
> This is madness on so many levels.
> 1. Why isn't HE dead already? We used to shoot traitors. When America is great again we will.
Thank you for saying that. I've been wondering why TRump isn't dead already too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2016, @02:19PM
Isn't brain dead good enough?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:14PM
Often I see your comments and roll my eyes. Today I will answer, even if for nothing but to try to train my rhetorical skills in defeating your kind of fascist reasoning. It seems it is getting useful these days. Ironic.
Response to 1: What does the USA being great, have to do with executions? Executions are typical of an unstable society, whether rightly or wrongly unstable. Perhaps you would like the "strange fruits" to come back from the time USA was great. I think there are some crimes that deserve life in prison but treason is such a vague term. I would prefer the justice system would pin responsibility for each of the damages his treason did then all out slap a treasonous charge.
Response to 2: Right there was a fallacy (can't remember the name): Exaggerate and ridicule based on your exaggeration. I also think he is mentally ill and should be in a mental hospital instead of in a prison. Nevertheless, you imply there is no bound, there is: The state should not put him in a hole for trying to kill himself and the state should treat or ameliorate his mental illness while in custody. He is in state custody. It probably would take away the sex change and the suicide attempt problems out of the way. Of course your murderous solution also would solve the problems, but such modus operandi is again, characteristic of an unstable society, which most of the USA citizens still do not seem to want.
Response to 3: Well, the USA still somewhat follows the rule of law. When "America was great" they did too. The whole system of who decides on that is governed by rules that trickle down from the constitution down to the... Laws of the land produced by the congress and the senate, which are followed by the executive branch, who probably decided on this matter accordingly. When they don't the judicial system, corrects it. Again, when "America was great" it was the same system. I don't believe you are old enough to have lived in the time when the Senate was elected by the states, which was the only significant constitutional amendment the USA had in terms of structure. As a side note I believe that system was good: the original writers of the constitution knew it well.
Response to 4: Why did you read and wrote a comment to it then?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:31PM
very expensive cosmetic surgery that every reliable study shows is more likely to do more harm than good
If it's such a mainstream position, it seems that you cold have linked to support for your opinion.
...or is it that the studies that don't correlate with your extreme opinions simply aren't "reliable"?
My perception is that you are simply confused (Surprise!) and are talking about doctors and/or parents whose XY sons have non-standard genitalia and who take it upon themselves to mutilate the genitalia of that infant to suit their own prejudices.
Someone who knew even the slightest about the subject (which clearly excludes you) would know that gender-affirming surgery is the LAST step in a long process to a great deal of counseling and living as the other gender.
Don't you ever get tired of showing how clueless you are?
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:33PM
> ...or is it that the studies that don't correlate with your extreme opinions simply aren't "reliable"?
He means "reliably bullshit."
(Score: 2) by Beryllium Sphere (r) on Sunday September 25 2016, @06:57AM
The numbers I've seen for satisfaction rates on reassignment surgery are extraordinarily high.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:37PM
No, he is a PATRIOT. Neither Manning or Snowden are traitors, but PATRIOTS of the highest order having sacrificed themselves for the soul of our nation.
Revealing the treachery of the TRAITORS in Washington D.C is what they both did, and yes you're correct, when America is great again we will kill the traitors. Or at least put them away for life in Leavenworth.
Manning is not mentally ill because he chose to illuminate for his fellow citizens, his brothers and sisters, the highly dishonorable and unconstitutional activities of the leaders we trusted. That is a low and baseless ad hominen attack.
If you're referring to sexual identity problems such as Manning has, then that makes you a terrible bigot to paint it as mental illness. I would suggest you study the following phrase: "There but for the grace of God go I"
Now you have cemented yourself as a pure homophobe and bigot. There are ZERO reliable studies, beyond junk science, that show the sexual reassignment surgery is harmful to the recipient. The opposite is true; It gives them back their lives. What issues remain are not the ones they bring, but what society brings to them in the varying degrees of acceptance we give them. While I won't ever remember the 55+ new names and terms for sexual identity, I won't call them mentally ill. If you have nothing nice to say to them, then say nothing at all. (Remember the phrase?)
We are concerned because how we treat our prisoners reflects much about ourselves. Solitary confinement is more than being alone. It is being without ANYTHING else other than perhaps a mat to sleep on. Not even a toilet, but a hole in the ground.
That is not corrective, but pure vengeance. Putting incredibly dangerous people in there for a few days may take the edge off so to speak, but Manning? He threatened nobody but himself after being denied base medical treatment (not the surgery) and basic human dignity. They then responded by throwing him in a hole and making him go the bathroom in a smaller hole in that hole.
All because he let the rest of us know what our government was doing behind our backs. What were they doing? Nothing honorable, that's for damn sure.
I'm hoping Trump isn't the next President, and that our next President pardons both of them. Promptly.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @09:39PM
Yeah, Hillary will make that priority #1, I'm sure.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Saturday September 24 2016, @10:19PM
I'm not sure of a fucking thing with Hillary as the President. There is a chance that she may have turned Progressive in the last 18 months with all the policy writing. There is a better chance than that it was because she is a fucking politician. We also have the chance though, that she may actually do her best to implement the Progressive agenda.
Then again, there is the chance she cackle, outlaw water within 30 miles of the President, and then give everybody the buttraping we've been fearing with the TPP, more erosion of civil rights, and the Establishment literally sucking on her tits while flipping us the bird.
That being said, I'm sure of many, many, many things with Trump. None of them good. The chances of him putting on his big boy pants, acting like an adult, and leading this nation with dignity, compassion, and great acumen worthy of the President?
Zero.
His acumen is well documented by Twitter, he is a pathological fabrication engine, and by all reasonable definitions in the DSM-IV, a medium functioning schizo with strong sociopathic tendencies.
I'll never get over me saying this. Hillary is objectively better because uncertainty is better than certainty in this election :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday September 24 2016, @10:44PM
On the upside she's not going to be the President. She's terribly unpopular with her own party, independents hate her and the GOP has probably never had a candidate running against somewhat they hated so much. Last I heard she might win by 2 electoral votes and there's still like a month left until the GE. Anything at all happens to damage her campaign further and she's done. Even if nothing more happens, she's still hurt enough that she's unlikely to win.
On the downside, that likely means that President Trump will have access to nuclear weapons and probably doesn't understand our nuclear defense strategy at even an elementary school level.
I foresee a boom in the construction of bunkers not seen since the height of the cold war.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 24 2016, @11:24PM
I'll bet 420 Internets that Hillary defeats Trump. Bookmark this comment.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2016, @01:41AM
That being said, I'm sure of many, many, many things with Trump. None of them good.
Such as what? How can you be sure if he's never been in such a position of power?
For me, even him stating that he supports authoritarian positions is enough to make sure I will never vote for him. But that applies to Clinton as well, and I am very confident, based on her voting record, that she actually will be an authoritarian if she gets into power. I don't know how you can ignore all of the authoritarian positions she's taken over the years and pretend like it's highly uncertain that she'll do similar things in the future. And what are the chances that she'll try to end our two party system, which is one of the most important issues facing the US? Pretty much none, from what I see.
Voting for either Trump or Hillary is pure foolishness
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @07:45PM
you're a stupid fuck if you vote for either of the two party candidates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @09:02PM
Mentally ill CTR puppets and hand wringers that try, poorly, to associate Trump to red flag negatives like you're doing does not have that strong of an effect.
I hope your CTR paycheck bounces.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Saturday September 24 2016, @09:29PM
If you think that Trump will do anything positive for the USA's status in the world, then you really should go back on your medications.
What you are asking for is a country like present-day Russia: very close to an absolute dictatorship. Just wait until Russia's oil money runs out and Putin is no longer popular.
Trump is a bigot and a known racist (he and his father had to enter into an agreement because of the racist housing policies that they had).
Unless you are one of the 0.1%, you won't benefit from his policies.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @11:43PM
> Trump is a bigot and a known racist (he and his father had to enter into an agreement because of the racist housing policies that they had).
His father was arrested for marching in robes at a klan rally. [vice.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2016, @01:33AM
1. Why isn't HE dead already? We used to shoot traitors. When America is great again we will.
Yes, Trump will make America great again by using torture, Internet censorship, mass surveillance, stop-and-frisk, eminent domain for private purposes (i.e. outright theft), etc. That's how to really bring America back to its roots, when it was great: Violate the highest law of the land as much as possible.
Well, he hasn't actually done any of those things yet, so I guess we have to ignore it and just hope he doesn't do those things if he does get into power. And make sure you assume I'm a Clinton supporter, for good measure.
Where do we draw the line?
How about we just stick to what the evidence points us to, and see which treatments are effective? To my knowledge, transgender persons who are able to successfully transition commit suicide less often, which seems like it would make it a viable route. And it doesn't hurt anyone else, so I don't see the issue.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 25 2016, @08:05AM
Is this what your Jesus tells you to do?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Sunday September 25 2016, @04:27PM
No. Reality. A is A. A dude is a dude. A traitor is a traitor. Insanity exists.
I am cursed to live in a world where saying these obviously true things is rapidly becoming criminalized.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 25 2016, @05:47PM
No. Think a bit harder about the example that your nice Mr Jesus set
Hint: it was to do with tolerance and forgiveness. And maybe you could think a bit about what the "traitor" exposed, and whether it might help you to look at yourself and improve.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].