Chelsea Manning attempts to destroy 'grand jury' system using their actions as wrecking ball!

[Zenaan Harkness]

BTW, a little trivia:

Up until about 10 years ago, we had grand juries still in Victoria,
Australia.

John Walsh (nearly murdered in jail with two billiard balls in a
sock, for his $300 million island development which envious
individuals wanted for themselves) successfully convened a grand jury
against the very corrupt Victorian Crown Solicitor of the day, with
abundant evidence of the corruption and attempted murder.

The next business day after Walsh's successful grand jury filing in
the supreme court, the Vicorian parliament removed the grand jury
from the Victorian constitution (since they were not using it for
themselves, and "we the people" had evidently begun to use it against
them).

(From memory, Mr Walsh lost his way and failed to file some of the
documents he had to thereafter additionally file, and thus his grand
jury case ultimately failed to proceed to trial.)

So with a small (handful) dedicated group of people, it is possible
to use such a tool as the grand jury to help clean up one or another
corruption - but pick your battle carefully if you don't wanna be
JFK'ed.

Good luck and create your world,



On Wed, Dec 18, 2019 at 08:55:52AM +1100, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
> Manning, and he will to stand for our collective rights, is awesome -
> a credit to higher intentions and all that is good!
> 
> Easily corruptible institutions ought be abolished.
> 
> Institutions which actually serve the people, can be used for good.
> 
> Institutions which have been corrupted, need to be either abolished
> or uncorrupted. Since those who wield such instutions against us, are
> corrupt and typically unwilling to relinquish their power which they
> wield against us, in this situation one solution is again to end the
> institution.
> 
> The Grand Jury was meant as an institution of the people, to hold to
> account individuals within government, but of course it has been
> turned upside down and is now regularly (exclusively?) used by
> government, against the people.
> 
> What we need is competent education of people, so they can wield
> power (including the grand jury) against corrupt government
> individuals.
> 
>   “The original grand jury was more than an investigator. They were
>   supposed to protect citizens not just from unjust indictments but
>   from unjust laws,” Manning suggested. “In England, grand jurors who
>   even allowed a prosecutor to come into the grand jury room were
>   seen as having violated their oath.”
> 
> At least, the Grand Jury in the USA seems to be clearly problematic,
> and either needs to be fixed, or removed altogether, in the interests
> of our human rights.
> 
> 
> Great article BTW - thanks for posting!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Dec 17, 2019 at 08:16:33AM -0800, Razer wrote:
> > 💝 Love you Chelsea! See you at the Barricades 🏴‍☠️
> > 
> > 
> > "When  Judge Anthony Trenga ordered Chelsea Manning back to jail for
> > refusing  to testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks, he
> > urged her  to “reflect on the principles she says she’s embracing” as
> > well as  “whether those views are worth the price she’s paying for
> > them.” Trenga  maintained there was “no dishonor” in cooperating with a
> > grand jury  because the United States Constitution codified the grand jury.
> > 
> > Manning  took Trenga’s admonishment seriously and responded with a
> > letter  containing research she did with the help of her attorneys. It
> > presented  her position on the grand jury in a very clear and compelling
> > manner.
> > 
> > In  doing so, Manning further demonstrated her resistance is about much 
> > more than defying an investigation into a dissident media organization. 
> > It is about publicly discrediting the institution and all its
> > corruption  once and for all.
> > 
> > Manning,  who is in jail at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention
> > Center in  Alexandria, Virginia, was held in civil contempt of court on
> > May 16. The  federal court not only sent her back to jail but also
> > imposed a fine of  $500 per day after 30 days and a fine of $1000 per
> > day after 60 days if  she continues her resistance.
> > 
> > If  Manning “persists in her refusal” for the next 16 months, according
> > to  her legal team, she will face a total amount of fines that is over 
> > $440,000. Both jail and fines may violate her Eighth Amendment rights 
> > under the Constitution, especially since these sanctions are supposed
> > to  be coercive, not punitive.
> > 
> > In her letter [PDF],  Manning contended the modern grand jury barely
> > resemble the grand jury,  which the framers enshrined in the
> > Constitution. She acknowledges much  of her opposition comes from their
> > use against activists but also makes  it clear she believes the
> > institution generally undermines due process  for all citizens."
> > 
> > https://medium.com/@kevin_33184/chelsea-mannings-resistance-brings-u-s-closer-to-ending-the-grand-jury-7b9d3ad6537a
> >