National Catholic Reporter  The Independent News Source
Whistleblowers shine necessary light on US shadows    • Army
Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted from court July 25 in Fort
Meade, Md. (Getty Images/AFP/Mandel Ngan)  Editor's note: Colman
McCarthy wrote this column for the Aug. 30-Sept. 12 print
edition, which went to press before Chelsea Manning, formerly
known as Bradley Manning, announced her decision to live as a
woman. As such, the column does not reflect Manning's decision.
It could happen someday, but as of now shaming and embarrassing
the United States government is a not a federal crime. Current
shamers and embarrassers are Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden.
Both released to the public documents that government officials
in the National Security Agency, the CIA, the Pentagon and the
Obama White House sought to keep secret and classified under the
all-purpose rubrics of national security and preventing
terrorist attacks.  Manning is the 25-year-old Army private who
made public, via the invaluabl