[Pnews] Chelsea Manning: to those who kept me alive all these years, thank you

[Prisoner News]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/13/chelsea-manning-prison-sentence-commutation 



  Chelsea Manning: to those who kept me alive all these years, thank you

Chelsea E Manning - 13 February 2017

To those who have kept me alive for the past six years: minutes after 
President Obama announced the commutation of my sentence, the prison 
quickly moved me out of general population and into the restrictive 
housing unit 
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/24/chelsea-manning-suicide-attempt-solitary-confinement-health-experts>where 
I am now held. I know that we are now physically separated, but we will 
never be apart and we are not alone. Recently, one of you asked me “Will 
you remember me?” I will remember you. How could I possibly forget? You 
taught me lessons I would have never learned otherwise.

When I was afraid, you taught me how to keep going. When I was lost, you 
showed me the way. When I was numb, you taught me how to feel. When I 
was angry, you taught me how to chill out. When I was hateful, you 
taught me how to be compassionate. When I was distant, you taught me how 
to be close. When I was selfish, you taught me how to share.

Sometimes, it took me a while to learn many things. Other times, I would 
forget, and you would remind me.

We were friends in a way few will ever understand. There was no room to 
be superficial. Instead, we bared it all. We could hide from our 
families and from the world outside, but we could never hide from each 
other.

We argued, we bickered and we fought with each other. Sometimes, over 
absolutely nothing. But, we were always a family. We were always united.

When the prison tried to break one of us, we all stood up. We looked out 
for each other. When they tried to divide us, and systematically 
discriminated against us, we embraced our diversity and pushed back. 
But, I also learned from all of you when to pick my battles. I grew up 
and grew connected because of the community you provided.

Those outside of prison may not believe that we act like human beings 
under these conditions. But of course we do. And we build our own 
networks of survival.

I never would have made it without you. Not only did you teach me these 
important lessons, but you made sure I felt cared for. You were the 
people who helped me to deal with the trauma of my regular haircuts. You 
were the people who checked on me after I tried to end my life. 
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/24/chelsea-manning-suicide-attempt-solitary-confinement-health-experts>You 
were the people that played fun games with me. Who wished me a Happy 
Birthday. We shared the holidays together. You were and will always be 
family.

For many of you, you are already free and living outside of the prison 
walls. Many of you will come home soon. Some of you still have many 
years to go.

The most important thing that you taught me was how to write and how to 
speak in my own voice. I used to only know how to write memos. Now, I 
write like a human being, with dreams, desires and connections. I could 
not have done it without you.

 From where I am now, I still think of all of you. When I leave this 
place in May, 
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/17/chelsea-manning-sentence-commuted-barack-obama> 
I will still think of all of you. And to anyone who finds themselves 
feeling alone behind bars, know that there is a network of us who are 
thinking of you. You will never be forgotten.

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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