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    JohnMcClanesSmirkRich Juzwiak
    8/22/13 5:52pm

    This morning's announcement by Manning and the reaction to it on social media was the hat-trick of everything morally corrupt about today's Whole Foods Democrats, exposing its three worst elements.

    1) The authoritarian impulse to mock anyone who violates the democratic party-sanctioned version of nationalism. One can think what Manning did was not morally justified but only a vengeful sociopath would find any degree of pleasure in a 35 year jail sentence for a non violent crime.

    2) The complete lack of empathy and glibness displayed towards our harsh and puritanical prison system and its debasing effects on humanity. Making prison rape jokes is NEVER funny and it's certainly not funny when directed at LGBT who are statistically more at risk to it's effects.

    3) Shallow progress on sexual and gender identity. "Gays are now ok! But those trans sure are unstable malcontents. lulz" The guiding principle of personal choice and acknowledging the reality of gender as a construct were jettison for the politically more expedient "but aren't they cute on Modern Family" approach to justice and now it's side effects are on full display.

    Steve Wienberg famously said "good people will always do good things and evil people will always do evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." I think he should have added to this mix "partisan loyalty".

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      UKStory135JohnMcClanesSmirk
      8/22/13 5:59pm

      What does any of this stuff have to do with the Democratic Party?

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      JohnMcClanesSmirkUKStory135
      8/22/13 6:04pm

      Any time someone rants about vague social media reactions it's difficult to cite specifics but there was plenty of indifference and glibness from otherwise progress people on my feed (and I assume others) who's timestamps i didn't bother to jot down. I don't have the research listcle bandwidth of a Buzzfeed but I will work to cite my references. As of now it will remain an assertion.

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    TruthRich Juzwiak
    8/22/13 5:52pm

    Okay, this is kind of a dumb question but I really don't know how this works. If you are a gay male and then opt to go the transgender route, are you then considered a straight female? Or is it gay transgendered?

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      welcometotheinternetTruth
      8/22/13 6:00pm

      You'd be considered a straight female.

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      mwatson2Truth
      8/22/13 6:12pm

      As far as I know transgender is a physical condition, not a route someone takes. As far as the sexuality goes, I have absolutely 0 understanding. God knows what the mental stress of being a transgender causes an individual to think or feel. They probably feel as confused about it as I do.

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    RoboBadgerRich Juzwiak
    8/22/13 6:27pm

    Interesting that this burning need to lop his dick off only came after it would become the government's responsibility to pay for it. Just send him a pair of scissors and be done with it.

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      Cherith CutestoryRoboBadger
      8/22/13 7:06pm

      I am pretty sure the US government covered her medical when she was a solider, as well.

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      Bertie.WRoboBadger
      8/23/13 7:46am

      I don't think this is recent. It could be one of the reasons she was kept in solitary for so long prior to the trial.

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    CharmingManRich Juzwiak
    8/22/13 5:35pm

    "Quiet as it’s kept, this is one reason for high recidivism rates. In prison, closeted homosexuals can receive what they desire but are able to maintain to the world they really find such behavior disgusting; in this manner they don’t have to take responsibility for what happened to them."

    Man, this is stupidest thing I've read in weeks. And I spend a lot of time on the Internet.

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      UKStory135CharmingMan
      8/22/13 5:38pm

      It is from the Daily Beast, the place to go for non-conservative stupidity.

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      ThisMachineKillsNeoliberalsCharmingMan
      8/22/13 5:41pm

      I mean, there might be something to it, but I'd definitely have to see an academic study on it.

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    jiminychristmasRich Juzwiak
    8/22/13 6:33pm

    I was a military policeman (not US military but I imagine they're pretty similar), and I can say with high confidence that he won't be manhandled or raped or abused in any significant way from the other prisoners... Military prisons are very very different from civilian prisons (for various/good reasons) and nearly 90% of his time will be spent in his cell, and almost 0% in "open facility" custody like civilian prisons. There's no wandering around in the canteen or between cells or leisure rooms... you are tracked and accompanied to and from every where you go in the prison. It's incredibly structured, incredibly oppressive and wearing on the prisoners and lacks the culture that civilian prisons have. Regardless of what his crime is, Bradley Manning is going to be treated and watched exactly the same as any other prisoner for the duration of his stay and honestly, civilian prison would seem like a resort vacation after x years in a military clink.

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      cuntybawsRich Juzwiak
      8/22/13 5:39pm

      "But it’s really not that unusual for a new prisoner to show up on the compound and begin walking around the yard in pants far too tight."

      There are tailors in prison, with access to sewing machines?

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        psychomagnetcuntybaws
        8/22/13 5:50pm

        I always thought the pants were intentionally baggy in prison thus requiring the inmate to use his hands to keep them up, slowing him down if he attempts to flee. Thus engendering the ass showing hood fashion. Urban legend? Probably.

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        Northbynortheastcuntybaws
        8/22/13 6:15pm

        I've seen some documentaries of life inside prison (it's actually pretty fascinating to watch), in-mates are freaking ingenious with what they engineer to makes themselves more comfortable. They just need to finely rip part of their sheets or mattresses to use in place of thread, use a super sharp pencil or a pen to act as the needle and they're easily able to tailor clothes.

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      Sean BrodyRich Juzwiak
      8/22/13 5:41pm

      interestingly enough, they usually never complain to the guards

      Because interestingly enough they don't want to be killed for snitching?

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        Cherith CutestorySean Brody
        8/22/13 6:52pm

        So weird! It is a mystery.

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      UKStory135Rich Juzwiak
      8/22/13 5:34pm

      To his credit, he used the right pronouns.

      There also did seem to be a lot of victim blaming as well, though.

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        HellephantUKStory135
        8/22/13 6:25pm
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        Cherith CutestoryUKStory135
        8/22/13 6:52pm

        I don't know if it makes it better or worse that he was clearly trying to have a positive story.

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      raincoasterRich Juzwiak
      8/22/13 6:36pm

      I believe Manning has already ruled out surgery, but may be seeking hormone therapy once she's out of military prison. That should presumably happen as soon as the dishonorable discharge comes through, although I would assume GITMO rather than a country club.

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        FaithandReasonraincoaster
        8/22/13 9:05pm



        He's ready to sue the Army to begin hormone therapy ASAP.

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        raincoasterFaithandReason
        8/22/13 9:24pm

        With the dishonorable discharge, she'll probably be transferred to a civilian facility. What worries me is that GITMO is a civilian facility.

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      MisterHippityRich Juzwiak
      8/22/13 5:44pm

      One thing is almost a certainty: celibacy probably won’t be an option for Chelsea Manning

      If it's not an option, that means its RAPE. Apparently, this writer seems to think there are forms of non-optional sex that are not rape. This is not the case.

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        electrotecticMisterHippity
        8/23/13 11:49am

        Someone could offer you protection in exchange for sex. If he's not colluding with the aggressor, it's not rape. Indeed, it's the oldest deal in the world.

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        MisterHippityelectrotectic
        8/23/13 12:06pm

        In other words: You must have sex with this protector, or you will be raped by other people — in which case, the sex with protector is coerced sex, which is rape.

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