On January 17, 2017, Barrack Obama granted 209 commutations. That is he shortened the sentences of 209 alleged criminals. Particularly Chelsea Manning is included in this list, though probably not many people will recognize the name. It was speculated that Barrack Obama was going to pardon Edward Snowden, and surely if I had brought up his name instead, then many more people would recognize it. For the purpose of what I’m going to say, both names are of equal importance. Their relation is to that of whistle-blowing, or public dissemination of information otherwise held private (particularly by the government), wherein the information gives evidence of corruption, illegality, unethical behavior, unwarranted surveillance, or an innumerable amount of wrong-doings.
whis·tle-blow·er / ˈ(h)wisəl ˌblō(ə)r/ noun
a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity.
As many should know, Edward Snowden is a whistle-blower. To Americans, that apparently makes him a contradictory list of things. He is seen by some as a hero, or a patriot, or perhaps a guardian. He is somebody who helped make us aware of some of the unethical behaviors that the American government takes part in. In the years following his whistle-blowing, having this information has come to make Americans stronger together and more in union as a nation. It did not take any time at all for us to acquiesce the vocabulary given to us by Edward Snowden and the media following Snowden’s controversy. That is to say that nary an ear has gone without hearing about either the NSA or WikiLeaks within the last decade. However, controversially, we Americans do not all look equivalently upon this. Some of us, as if by contradiction would give the name traitor to Edward Snowden, or to any other whistle-blowers.
I am here now to say that whistle-blowing is important to us, and it is a necessary benefit that we should not look down upon. Certainly it is true that what these whistle-blowers are doing or what they did is or was illegal, but this is only to protect those who need important information closed off from the general public. People giving anonymous tips about illegal behavior are kept anonymous for a reason; sometimes things are meant to be kept secret for some time to prevent hysteria, or as a matter of national security; we should all understand how sometimes things are blown out of proportion; etc. However, it is that society has been able to propel itself forward within the last century by adhering to notions of civil liberties and equal rights. Through history we have come to find ourselves in opposition to such things as singular access to education, wealth, property, bus seats, commerce, etc.; and it is here that I propose we should be more strongly against secrecy of governmental information, particularly when it relates to protections we should be afforded as a nation.
One of the people granted commutation by the old president was Chelsea Manning, who was a soldier when she leaked Army intelligence information online, and as such was detained for espionage. However, what she leaked is widely seen as a catalyst for the Arab Spring—an important narrative against oppressive authoritarianism in the modern world, something to unite people against fascism and oppression, something which started from an act as simple as sharing information online. In the days of monarchies and oligarchies in previous centuries, people were believed to be of hierarchical worth depending upon their familial status. It was that only those born noble or rich could afford information, but a commoner had to spend his life’s worth on only food and clothing and taxes. Those who lived in the castle could afford all of the books and education their hearts desired without having to worry if they were going to be able to live or eat the next day. Perhaps that is hyperbole, but nonetheless it is true of the modern age that we value equality.
More to the point of the blog post, tomorrow Chelsea Manning is scheduled to be released. Though it is not without heartache, and it is not without having been so scared to death to have felt the need to attempt suicide, to go on a hunger strike, or to be a proponent to informational freedom all while being bullied, alienated, and segregated by the very government meant to be the protector of its citizens. But it is not just Chelsea Manning. As I have said, Edward Snowden feels persecuted by the American government. An intelligent man once working hand in hand with his administration but since betrayed, now turned information activist. There is also Aaron Schwartz, once a research fellow at Harvard University, once a contributor to online content standardization, once a propagator of information to the masses, once a great man, programmer, activist, icon, etc.
On January 6, 2011, Aaron Schwartz was arrested by MIT police on breaking-and-entering charges and wire fraud, because he systematically delivered academic journal articles from JSTOR to the Internet. Upon returning the materials stolen to JSTOR, JSTOR commented:
“We told the United States Attorney’s Office that we had no further interest in the matter and did not want to press charges. Subsequently a criminal case was brought against Mr. Swartz by the United States Attorney’s Office, and he was indicted on felony charges in July 2011.”
At the time, JSTOR had no idea how law enforcement came to be involved in the matter, and they would have settled on the files simply remaining undistributed. However his actions, according the federal government, carried a cumulative maximum penalty of $1 million in fines, 35 years in prison, asset forfeiture, restitution, and supervised release. While under federal indictment for his alleged computer crimes, he was found to have hanged himself in his apartment He was bullied by the American government deciding to make an example out of him even after the victim of the crime decidedly did not feel victimized.
In any case. It is my point to implore you all to be more aware of goings-on such as these. Take some time to read up on the various news outlets’ opinions on the release of Chelsea Manning. Turn off adblock so they can get something worthy out of the page views they are trying for, at least on the premise that they are disseminating information worthy of being informed about.