Our nation is being silenced:
It is being coerced by a government that forces its citizens to keep its dark secrets.
It is being terrorized by a government that tortures.
It is being chilled by a government that subjects dissidents to abuse by the prison system.
It is being held hostage by a government willing to lock a whistleblower in a cage, strip him naked, and shackle his feet together so he can't stand up.
We need to end the silence, stop the forced secrecy, and halt the prosecution of the government's secret-keepers, who speak up about the injustices they have witnessed.
To this end, we ask President Obama to stand up for government transparency, stand up for freedom of speech, and pardon Bradley Manning, the whistleblower of our time.