Mr./Ms. Manning to get gender reassignment surgery in Ft. Leavenworth

[MechAg94]

Uh wow. I get that a lot of folks here dislike PVT Manning, but I seriously question the politeness and humanity of folks advocating murder or other physical harm of someone in federal custody. Rules on detainees and prisoners is pretty clear. Their safety comes before your's. It sucks, but it's the only honorable way of handling things.

I unfortunately am a bit more familiar with some, but not all, unpublished or probably classified aspects of original situation. PVT Manning had and has deep psychological issues. Gender identity disorder is probably only the tip of the iceberg. PVT Manning should not have been allowed enlistment. PVT Manning should not have been given a clearance. PVT Manning should not have been deployed, and definitely not deployed to any sensitive area of operations. PVT Manning did violate US law as well as the UCMJ. A 35-year sentence is valid and probably correct. That PVT Manning was partially manipulated does not and should not mitigate the sentence. You sign the dotted line, you give up certain legal rights. You sign your clearance paperwork, you give more. Personally, I would be of the opinion that even if PVT Manning was held legally mentally competent to enlist or sign clearance papers, PVT Manning should not have been allowed to do so. There were many repeated incidents, which PVT Manning's command structure as well as multiple mental-health counselors were extremely to criminally negligent. Before anyone tries to put this on DADT or political correctness, the deployment issue was lack of intel personnel. Anyone that was in the military around that time probably remembers lots of issues with shortages of folks with certain MOS or skillsets. Or hell, bodies period.

I testified against other folks that violated classification laws. Some significantly worse in practical terms than PVT Manning did. More than a few of them got significantly lighter sentences. Admittedly usually because they were smart enough to just plead guilty and take a plea deal rather than try to buck all the charges. While PVT Manning did commit crimes and was more or less correctly sentenced, I'd remind folks that advocating criminal acts is not something that should be lightly. PVT Manning's mental issues don't legitimize advocating worse criminal acts than the ones of which PVT Manning was convicted.

I would rather see people who wanted bad things to happen to criminals, but tempered that desire with a sense of justice than the other way around. 

[Hawkmoon]

Please don't refer to him as "it." I think, as rational humanists (those who have abandoned neither reason, nor a belief in human dignity), it is our duty to affirm Mr. Manning's humanity (which includes his inborn masculinity). The irrational, humanity-hating left don't care about "transexuals" enough to stop them from emasculating, or butching, themselves. We shouldn't join them.

The current fad of calling transvestites "transexuals" leaves me uncertain as to how to refer to them. Decades ago, when tennis playing eye doctor Renee Richards stopped being a he and became a she, she underwent gender reassignment surgery so that she indeed became a she. I have no problem referring to Dr. Richards as "she."

People like Bradley/Chelsea Manning and Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, on the other hand, have not undergone surgery ... and Jenner apparently doesn't intend to. My view is that they still have male equipment, so they are male. But they want to be considered female ... although they are NOT female. The English language has limited provisions for dealing with this. We have masculine, feminine, and neuter. So what do you call anything that's not masculine or feminine? If it's not "he" or "she," it's "it."

I understand your view and I support your holding it. I'm just trying to acknowledge that PVT Manning doesn't want to be a "he." But PVT Manning isn't a "she," therefore the only choice left if I wish to acknowledge that PVT Manning doesn't want to be a "he" is "it."

[KD5NRH]

I understand your view and I support your holding it. I'm just trying to acknowledge that PVT Manning doesn't want to be a "he." But PVT Manning isn't a "she," therefore the only choice left if I wish to acknowledge that PVT Manning doesn't want to be a "he" is "it."

What if someone doesn't want to be any of the three?

I'm still sticking to my preference which is to define them by their DNA.  Learn to change that, and I'll call you whatever you want.  (And I guess a true mosaic hermaphrodite can pick anyway.)

For those who think personal preference should dictate, I prefer to be referred to as "supremely handsome and benevolent master."

[41magsnub]

Accepting all of the above -- PVT Manning, irrespective of its gender identification, was a male when it enlisted and is a male today. I see no reason why I should pay to indulge its fantasies regarding gender identification.

That's my biggest thing.  I don't give a crap what he wants to call himself or what gender he thinks he is.  I truly don't care, it does not impact me or anybody I know at all - until it hits my pocketbook.  Tax dollars should not pay for elective surgery for a prisoner.  He is a criminal, he broke the law, he is in jail.  It is supposed to suck.  It is supposed to restrict his freedom.

[Sideways_8]

That's my biggest thing.  I don't give a crap what he wants to call himself or what gender he thinks he is.  I truly don't care, it does not impact me or anybody I know at all - until it hits my pocketbook.  Tax dollars should not pay for elective surgery for a prisoner.  He is a criminal, he broke the law, he is in jail.  It is supposed to suck.  It is supposed to restrict his freedom.

I am all for the cut yourself into whatever you want to be as long as you pay for it philosophy. I willingly support the rights for you to do whatever the hell you want to do to yourself, marry whoever you want (same sex, same family, horse, goat, Clnton, etc.), but I don't want to pay for it.