This week, we were honored to hold a discussion with Gabriel and John Shipton, the brother and father of American hero Julian Assange. As we mention in our introduction to this conversation, the violations of First Amendment rights and basic human rights that led to Assange’s incarceration have an impact on all of us. We’re humbled to share this episode of Krystal Kyle & Friends with you.
In our last post, we discussed the basics of the unjust imprisonment of Julian Assange, founder of whistleblowing org WikiLeaks. Now, Gabriel and John reveal details about Julian’s current living conditions, the discovery of fabricated testimony against him, and the U.S. media’s determined blackout of his case.
For so many of us, the feelings of patriotism that this weekend’s holiday is supposed to drum up has been forever changed by the information that Julian sacrificed to share with us. We know that the American government’s demand for unquestioning allegiance comes at the cost of safety, health, freedom, and life for millions of people across the world. We also know that the values that supposedly build our national character — freedom to express ourselves, to question, and to speak to our beliefs — can be bought and paid for, whisked away for the Department of Defense’s convenience.
Episode 28 Audio: Gabriel and John Shipton