Obama’s Commutation of Manning’s Sentence, A ‘Slap in the Face’ of US Public Servants
Exercising his authority under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, President Barack Obama commuted the court-martial sentence of convicted felon Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning before gender transition surgery.
Although there is no dispute that Obama had the legal authority to commute the former Army private first class’ sentence, the president and his advisers had to know that any relief granted to Manning would be terribly controversial, and for good reason.
Commuting Manning’s sentence sends a horrible message to everyone who serves in the U.S. military, emboldens those who seek to harm the United States, and disheartens countless Americans—in and out of uniform.
Source URL:
http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/cully-stimson/obamas-commutation-mannings-sentence-slap-face-us-public-servants
