Disgraced and convicted former soldier, Bradley Manning has come out, announcing in a statement to NBC’s Today that, “I am a female”.  What in the world this has to do with the fact that he committed espionage, is beyond comprehension.  Quite frankly, who cares?  It has absolutely nothing to do with his court-martial or conviction and should not play a role in his prison sentence.  His attorney David Coombs stated, “Chelsea didn’t want to have this be something that overshadowed the case.” Perhaps the traitor doesn’t recognize that when you go to prison you lose all of your rights including your right to vote, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Coombs has asked President Barack Obama to pardon Pte Manning, and has pledged to appeal against the verdict and sentence.  On what grounds he’s asking the President to pardon Manning, is anyone’s guess.   Let’s not forget the crime for which Manning was convicted, he leaked hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and battlefield reports from Afghanistan and Iraq. It deserves the death penalty in fact, as many of his fellow soldiers could have been put in jeopardy due to his selfish, cowardly actions. There is no more reprehensible act including murder, than being a traitor.  His “disillusionment” with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is his problem.  He enlisted and made a choice.  His reasons for enlisting are no one’s issue but his own.  Mr Coombs has indicated the soldier was willing to take legal action to force the prison to provide hormone therapy if authorities refused.  But if you’re a convicted felon you should suffer the consequences of your actions and if the court allows him or any other felon special rights for ANY reason, it’s simply a travesty.  From a human standpoint, one can certainly empathize with his plight.  It must be horrific to be born one sex and feel like another, but that doesn’t excuse his actions and he is now the property of the federal government and no special treatment or dispensation is warranted or should be granted.