title:  Pres. Obama Just Saved Chelsea Manning On His Way Out The Door
text: Presidential commutations and pardons are not at all uncommon. However, they can sometimes be controversial. President Obama s commutations and pardons are no different. Case in point   his commutation of former Army soldier Chelsea Manning s 35-year prison sentence for her activities regarding leaking secrets to Wikileaks.Manning was charged and prosecuted as Bradley Manning, and then, after a great struggle, underwent gender reassignment surgery in prison and changed her name to Chelsea Manning. There was plenty of evidence that, like many transgender people, Manning was treated inhumanely in the military prison. She has attempted suicide on two occasions, and it is reported that she did not receive proper care after her surgery. She has also been subjected to solitary confinement.With President Obama s action, the cruel and unusual punishment Manning has been subjected to will come to an end on May 17, 2017. Manning will have been in jail for roughly seven years at that time.This also may help bring Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to justice, as last week Wikileaks tweeted the following: If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case. While there is no way of knowing if this is true or not, considering who Julian Assange is, it would certainly be a step in the right direction.Of course, conservatives are hating on the President s decision. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas tried to say that President Obama s using his power in this way is bad for the cause of criminal justice reform: I think on the larger issue of criminal justice reform, the president is really undermining our political capital by granting clemency at an unprecedented rate. People say, well why should we change the sentencing rules in criminal justice reform if the president can just do it with a flick of his pen? This is, of course, a load of BS, but facts and Republicans don t mix very well these days. Anyone with a brain knows that an overhaul of the so-called  justice  system is needed, full stop. A few commutations and pardons here and there will not change that fact.Good on you, Mr. President, for doing the right thing. We sure will miss you.Featured image via Flickr