'Sometimes You Have to Pay a Heavy Price to Live in a Free Society' by Bradley Manning
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/21-7
Manning invoked that late Howard Zinn, quoting, "There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."
***SNIP
Patriotism is often the cry extolled when morally questionable acts are advocated by those in power. When these cries of patriotism drown our any logically based intentions [unclear], it is usually an American soldier that is ordered to carry out some ill-conceived mission.
Our nation has had similar dark moments for the virtues of democracythe Trail of Tears, the Dred Scott decision, McCarthyism, the Japanese-American internment campsto name a few. I am confident that many of our actions since 9/11 will one day be viewed in a similar light.
As the late Howard Zinn once said, "There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."
I understand that my actions violated the law, and I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. I only wanted to help people. When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.