We even have whistleblower protection laws to prevent any retaliation from the Feds as a result.
If Manning had stood up like a man and gone through the proper channels, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Hell, I might've even joined with you guys and called him a hero.
If he wanted to be a whistleblower, there are perfectly legal ways to do so (none of which endanger American lives).
Manning had quite a few options, but chose to betray his country out of cowardice.
Let's sum up: there were perfectly legal ways to disclose the acts and he would have been protected so this would have been no drawbacks at all for him to go through the "proper channels"
Yet, he decided ("chose") to pick the riskiest way to do so
So according to you, deliberately choosing the riskiest way makes him a coward
Makes sense