Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

In all too many cases today, that depends entirely upon who you are, how much money you have and whether your work clashes with the states alliances and ideologies.  As with any human being, it is easy for the media to amplify the negative attributes and diminish the positive to support the overall agenda.  What is not easy is to undo the resonating bad taste in key stakeholders mouths.  Even the choice of photographs used for articles are telling for the readers in what tone the article is set.  We know how it is, as it lingers in our subconscious twisting the chorus of harsh sentences towards political dissidents.   For those accustomed to the lifestyle of the average westerner, it takes some work to unravel the chaotic mess that is the medias logic.

Article excludes police assaults, lacking
acknowledgement of protesters grievances.

For instance, occupy protesters were attacked by police which included a pregnant woman.  Videos of the incidences were uploaded on youtube, but barely reported in the mainstream media.  Some writers minimized the behavior by expanding on comments  from police spokespersons and the few incidents from alleged protesters.  In the Los Angleles Times, the writer alleges an occupy protester graffitied the wall with an "A" symbol purporting to represent the well known hacktivist group Anonymous.  Yet, only a day ago RT reported evidence of a grisly assault by police on a young veteran.  After being hit by a teargas canister, he is in critical condition over swelling to the brain.

 Children and the disabled were also reported to be among those attacked by police, another critical fact excluded from Los Angeles Times.    The Los Angeles Times history itself deems its news devoid of credibility with its support of the Republican party and past corruption.   Credibility in media reports can become the deciding factor in the life or the death of a human being when authorities have lost all sense of rappore for those that they are charged to work for.





In Julian Assange's case, the Swedish prosecution and now the UK judiciary have gone well above what is usually respected as law to detain and censor his work.  Within a small time-frame surrounding the release of cablegate, a series of attacks were directed at wikileaks website, Amazon ceased hosting, Apple removed the official Wikileaks app, bank accounts were frozen and then an application for a warrant from Interpol was granted.  At the same time, the Australian Fedral Police were investigating Assange to see whether Australian law was broken. When the charges were initially laid, a Swedish tabloid released an article before even Julian Assange himself was aware of them.  The following day, the charges were dropped, but not after major news organizations echoed the article with humiliating and degrading smears that accumulated search results linking the word "rape" and "assange".  Despite not being trialled or convicted of rape, both the media and the judiciary have treated him as if he had.  During that time, several high ranking politicians called for his murder and encouraged extradition from Sweden to United States.

Bradley Manning, accused of being the whistle-blower whom leaked the cables to Wikileaks was pressured to testify against Julian Assange in hopes to prosecute him under the same act that Daniel Ellisberg was trialed under for leaking the pentagon papers related to human rights abuses in the Vietnam war.

The charges itself were sketchy, along with the testimony that the two friends made together to authorities that were personally known to them prior to the events that unraveled.  The process itself, lacked transparency with no redress to the numerous conflicts of interest between the prosecutor, police and the two women.  Even well known feminists remained dubious about the process, timing and public statements from US officials calling for Assanges extradition to US and eventual death penalty.  The punishment far outweighs the potential crime here.

The case without due process not only undermines the course of justice for Julian Assange, but also undermines the course of justice for true victims of rape.  The extensiveness of collusion within the Swedish judiciary and political hands is beyond a simple error.  The lack of transparency and attacks from US supportive states surrounding the detainment of Julian Assange without charge is a complete violation of human rights and sets a chilling stage for both men and women entering the judicial system.  Unlike the symbol of justice whom wears a blindfold so that only the facts are available without irrelevant details that trivialize innocence, the cases motivation and surrounding circumstances make it clear:  This has nothing to do with rape and everything to do with retaliation.  Like beauty, words are only skin deep; strip that away and we are left with nothing but the pure truth.  The truth is, the chance to save Assange from the ills US intends to unleash, is slipping beneath our fingers.  In two days time, Julian Assanges fate is to be decided.  Some journalists have skimmed above the facts and concluded incorrectly that all will happen is a court case in Sweden.  This court case if it is to go ahead may be held in secret and upon conviction, his incarceration also in isolation from those that would demand accountability.  This is a time where US has the unique opportunity to distract the public eye away from a grave crime it seeks to commit.  This is no trivial matter, make no mistake: It is a grave matter.  One life, that equates to many lives through the work it has done to save more lifes is at stake.  No matter what you think of his character, the way he looks, the things you might not agree with:  They are not important.  All that is important is one simple thing.  It is one thing that is beyond money and possessions.  It is something that everything cannot survive without.  It is something that could cross your path too.  It is life.  It is a life of a human being not above nor below yours or mine, but it matters.
If this inspires you, then go with it and give it everything you have with a list of things you can do between now and then below:
1.  Join Friends of Wikileaks and become a critical mass here.
2.  Visit the 'Action' page at Justice4Assange and follow the instructions on how to contact your local member here.
3.  If you are in Victoria, download and print this poster.
4.  Read the supporters page and work out what you can do to help with your talents here.
5.  Read the donation page and find out the best way you can contribute here.