Both Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning should be regarded as American heroes.

As a whistle blower, Snowden risked all by exposing the extent to which American rights and freedoms had been attacked by the NSA and other global surveillance programs. For that, he has lived in asylum in Russia now for over 3 and half years. The American government has filed, among others, two counts of violating the Espionage Act, each which carry a possible sentence of 10 years. President-elect Trump has called Snowden a traitor deserving execution. Rep. Mike Pompeo, Trump nominee for CIA Director, called for the death penalty for Snowden. and Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's nominee for Attorney General, strongly supports the death penalty as well. Edward Snowden does not deserve to live his life in exile. Pres. Obama should issue a pardon now so that he can come home.

Chelsea Manning also has served the nation well as a whistle blower and . . . .

she has already served more than 6 years of a 30 year sentence in prison, including serving some of that time in solitary confinement for having attempted suicide. She has received no treatment for her gender dysphoria until recently. Her treatment has been so harsh while in prison that the United Nations special rapporteur on torture has accused the United States of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Yet Manning's leak of thousand of State and Defense Department files revealed American conduct around the world, including the video of American troops shooting and killing a dozen people who had come to the medical assistance of wounded individuals. Those actions which clear violations of the rules of international war conduct.

We can expect that a Trump government will not treat Manning any better than has the Obama administration.

For these reasons, we call on President Obama to issue Edward Snowden a pardon and to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence to time served. And for members of the Oregon Progressive Party to contact the President with their demands on behalf of these American whistle blowers. Contact the President now via email at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.