SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Donations and Gratitude Pour In for Chelsea Manning's Homecoming
'Chelsea has done so much for all of us, and inspired so many people, supporting her as she transitions back into the free world is the least that we can do.'
Feb 10, 2017
A fundraiser to "welcome home" Chelsea Manning launched just two days ago has already surpassed $50,000, which observers say is a testament to the inspiration that the transgender leader and military whistleblower has provided to so many supporters.
More than 1,200 people have donated upwards of $53,000 to the effort, with the goal of reaching $100,00 to help Manning pay for basic living expenses upon her arrival home on May 17.
"Upon her release she will need logistical, emotional, and financial support to safely transition into the free world," notes the GoFundMe page organized by Manning's friends and family. "For the first time in her life, Chelsea will have the opportunity to live freely as her authentic self, to grow her hair, engage with her friends, and build her own networks of love and support. We want her to have the tools to do that and to overcome the years of abuse she has experienced in custody."
After seven years of incarceration, her sentence was commuted by Barack Obama last month in one of his final acts as president.
Noting the speed with which donations are pouring in, journalist Glenn Greenwald, a vocal advocate of Manning who wrote a letter of clemency on her behalf, wrote online Friday, "Her act of conscience & subsequent courage has inspired many people."
That sentiment was echoed by countless others who posted notes of thanks and support on the fundraiser page.
"You are such a courageous person who has endured so much for the benefit of others," said Tristan Townsend. "Thank you so much."
Another donor who identified as "Concerned Random Swedish Citizen," wrote: "I think that if we had more people like you the world would be a much better place all around. THANK YOU for finding the COURAGE to do what you could in order to put a stop to this MADNESS."
Manning, a former Army intelligence officer, gave 700,000 classified U.S. State and Defense Department documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. Among numerous classified diplomatic cables, the leaks included a video showing a U.S. helicopter attack on Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists and numerous Iraqi civilians.
During her incarceration, Manning was subject to solitary confinement and repeatedly denied basic healthcare; she also survived two suicide attempts.
"I can't begin to imagine the challenges you've faced," wrote another donor, Berivan Esen. "Happy for the freedom and better life that awaits you."
After the campaign launched on Wednesday, Manning tweeted from her personal account:
"It's incredible to see this outpouring of support for Chelsea, but it's not surprising," observed Evan Green, campaign director of the civil liberties organization Fight for the Future and a friend of Manning's. "Chelsea has done so much for all of us, and inspired so many people, supporting her as she transitions back into the free world is the least that we can do."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
A fundraiser to "welcome home" Chelsea Manning launched just two days ago has already surpassed $50,000, which observers say is a testament to the inspiration that the transgender leader and military whistleblower has provided to so many supporters.
More than 1,200 people have donated upwards of $53,000 to the effort, with the goal of reaching $100,00 to help Manning pay for basic living expenses upon her arrival home on May 17.
"Upon her release she will need logistical, emotional, and financial support to safely transition into the free world," notes the GoFundMe page organized by Manning's friends and family. "For the first time in her life, Chelsea will have the opportunity to live freely as her authentic self, to grow her hair, engage with her friends, and build her own networks of love and support. We want her to have the tools to do that and to overcome the years of abuse she has experienced in custody."
After seven years of incarceration, her sentence was commuted by Barack Obama last month in one of his final acts as president.
Noting the speed with which donations are pouring in, journalist Glenn Greenwald, a vocal advocate of Manning who wrote a letter of clemency on her behalf, wrote online Friday, "Her act of conscience & subsequent courage has inspired many people."
That sentiment was echoed by countless others who posted notes of thanks and support on the fundraiser page.
"You are such a courageous person who has endured so much for the benefit of others," said Tristan Townsend. "Thank you so much."
Another donor who identified as "Concerned Random Swedish Citizen," wrote: "I think that if we had more people like you the world would be a much better place all around. THANK YOU for finding the COURAGE to do what you could in order to put a stop to this MADNESS."
Manning, a former Army intelligence officer, gave 700,000 classified U.S. State and Defense Department documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. Among numerous classified diplomatic cables, the leaks included a video showing a U.S. helicopter attack on Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists and numerous Iraqi civilians.
During her incarceration, Manning was subject to solitary confinement and repeatedly denied basic healthcare; she also survived two suicide attempts.
"I can't begin to imagine the challenges you've faced," wrote another donor, Berivan Esen. "Happy for the freedom and better life that awaits you."
After the campaign launched on Wednesday, Manning tweeted from her personal account:
"It's incredible to see this outpouring of support for Chelsea, but it's not surprising," observed Evan Green, campaign director of the civil liberties organization Fight for the Future and a friend of Manning's. "Chelsea has done so much for all of us, and inspired so many people, supporting her as she transitions back into the free world is the least that we can do."
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
A fundraiser to "welcome home" Chelsea Manning launched just two days ago has already surpassed $50,000, which observers say is a testament to the inspiration that the transgender leader and military whistleblower has provided to so many supporters.
More than 1,200 people have donated upwards of $53,000 to the effort, with the goal of reaching $100,00 to help Manning pay for basic living expenses upon her arrival home on May 17.
"Upon her release she will need logistical, emotional, and financial support to safely transition into the free world," notes the GoFundMe page organized by Manning's friends and family. "For the first time in her life, Chelsea will have the opportunity to live freely as her authentic self, to grow her hair, engage with her friends, and build her own networks of love and support. We want her to have the tools to do that and to overcome the years of abuse she has experienced in custody."
After seven years of incarceration, her sentence was commuted by Barack Obama last month in one of his final acts as president.
Noting the speed with which donations are pouring in, journalist Glenn Greenwald, a vocal advocate of Manning who wrote a letter of clemency on her behalf, wrote online Friday, "Her act of conscience & subsequent courage has inspired many people."
That sentiment was echoed by countless others who posted notes of thanks and support on the fundraiser page.
"You are such a courageous person who has endured so much for the benefit of others," said Tristan Townsend. "Thank you so much."
Another donor who identified as "Concerned Random Swedish Citizen," wrote: "I think that if we had more people like you the world would be a much better place all around. THANK YOU for finding the COURAGE to do what you could in order to put a stop to this MADNESS."
Manning, a former Army intelligence officer, gave 700,000 classified U.S. State and Defense Department documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. Among numerous classified diplomatic cables, the leaks included a video showing a U.S. helicopter attack on Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists and numerous Iraqi civilians.
During her incarceration, Manning was subject to solitary confinement and repeatedly denied basic healthcare; she also survived two suicide attempts.
"I can't begin to imagine the challenges you've faced," wrote another donor, Berivan Esen. "Happy for the freedom and better life that awaits you."
After the campaign launched on Wednesday, Manning tweeted from her personal account:
"It's incredible to see this outpouring of support for Chelsea, but it's not surprising," observed Evan Green, campaign director of the civil liberties organization Fight for the Future and a friend of Manning's. "Chelsea has done so much for all of us, and inspired so many people, supporting her as she transitions back into the free world is the least that we can do."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.