PARDON OF RET. MAJ. GENERAL JAMES CARTWRIGHT
Outgoing President Obama did the right thing in pardoning these two individuals, absolutely and without question. One, Ret. Maj. General James Cartwright, was and is a national hero, and former Commander of US Strategic Command and second highest uniformed officer. It is unimaginable that federal prosecutors would deliberately deceive and betray the trust of such a highly decorated US Commander for giving sensitive information to journalists in his retirement that was given with an insistence that national security not be compromised. This shows the true nature of those who would abuse their intelligence authority to seek to undermine national security themselves through their own dishonorable treachery, and the career of a US Commander, who never had any intention of taking actions that would threaten national security.
Having access to intelligence information and capabilities does not give federal employees license to secretly go after those who have honorably served America, simply because they can make it work on paper. Such misguided legalism was condemned by Christ That's called "legalism for the sake of legalism," that betrays the higher purpose of the law, which is to protect freedom. Those who did so, and their supervisors, should be held accountable for treason.
The military is not above oversight, in fact, it is the duty of civilians, as well as military commanders, to provide such oversight in order to prevent abuses of war. War does not give anyone license to murder enemies of the state.
One crucial example is the late, US Captain Hugh Thompson, who flew his helicopter into the line of fire of those who were murdering innocent civilians, elderly, women and children, during the Vietnam war. He received the "medal of heroism," some 30 years later, for disobeying orders, and threatening to shoot soldiers who mistakenly believed they were authorized to murder civilians, simply because "intelligence," proclaimed that innocent villagers had become "enemies," and those in command ordered them to do so.
War is becoming more and more obsolete, and takes a higher toll on those who are forced to fight them, although, sometimes it is necessary to oppose evil. Jesus even commended a Roman commander for his faith and integrity, who was considered a friend of Israel by the Jewish community. King David was also a warrior and king, and favored by God, who was forced to defend Israel against violent enemies.
Cartwright's attorney and former White House counsel, stated that, "We are deeply grateful for President Obama's decision to pardon General Cartwright...Current and former leaders of the American national security community have, almost with one voice, stood up for General Cartwright. We thank them for supporting a man who is truly one of our nations' heroes."
PARDON OF PFC MANNING
It may, at times, be the job of the state of punish those who are perceived as acting contrary to it's interests, but, it is the job of the church, and civilian leaders, to show mercy to those who have been given punishment that clearly amounts to "cruel and unusual punishment," under modern standards of a civilized society. This is why war-hawks like Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, someone whose own sexual identity has been challenged, have no right to make comments like, "This was grave harm to our national security and Chelsea Manning is serving a sentence and should continue serving that sentence." Would he have been one of those who dragged women and children villagers into a ditch and machine gunned them as was done in the Mai Lai massacre? Is he a real soldier, who values life, or a wannabe hired gun with no compassion on the suffering?
Sentencing someone like Manning, already battling their own demons, to 35 years in an animal cage for actions that could not be determined as to the severity of the threat to national security, was clearly "cruel and unusual punishment," in violation of the 8th amendment.
