Posted on 12/16/2005 4:18:51 PM PST by Thunder90
Welcome to the first Courage to Resist GI Resistance Support Newsletter!
We are excited!
We plan to send out this newsletter of breaking news and updates about GI resistance to war, occupation and empire every month and additional urgent alerts as needed. This newsletter will keep you up to date about how service women and men within the US military are taking action, and following their conscience in standing up for human rights, democratic rights and against illegal and unjust war and occupation. We will also let you know how you, your organization and your community can support them.
WHY
GI resisters, conscientious objectors and dissent within the military deserve our support as they stand up for human rights and dignity, democratic rights, and international law. The other reason to support these soldiers is that they have the power-- as in Viet Nam-- to shut down the war. Widespread public support and pressure can help protect these courageous individuals from feelings of isolation and from repression of them and their rights. The fact that soldiers, veterans and military families have re-inspired the US antiwar movement and successfully countered the story of the war on terror is incredibly hopeful.
WHO
Courage to Resist is a small all volunteer group of antiwar activists, veterans, and military families who saw a need to build support for antiwar resistance and dissent within the military. This newsletter and the campaign to support GI resistance has incredible potential and is urgently needed, but it's success depends on you, your group and your community participating.
Please consider:
1) Signing up to participate on our GI Resistance Alert Network to receive Action Alerts about GI resisters who need phonecalls, emails, public education and demonstrations of support.
2) If you know of stories or needs for support of GI resisters and objectors please let us know at courage@riseup.net. You can sign up on our website as either an individual or for your organization.
a better world is possible,
Courage to Resist
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****URGENT: SUPPORT KATHERINE JASHINSKI NOW!****
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Katherine Jashinsky:
"My name is Katherine Jashinski. I am a SPC in the Texas Army National Guard. I was born in Milwaukee, WI and I am 22 years old... I have come to the point where I am forced to choose between my legal obligation to the Army and my deepest moral values. I want to make it clear that I will not compromise my beliefs for any reason." On the morning of November 17, 2005, Katherine Jashinsky became the first woman from within the military to make public her resistance to the Iraq war. Katherine is a National Guard Specialist on active duty with the 111th ASG since January of this year, and was seeking Conscientious Objector (CO) status from the military. At the gates of Fort Benning Georgia, surrounded by supporters, Katherine held a press conference announcing her planned refusal to be deployed to the Middle East. Her announcement at Fort Benning coincided with the annually-held protest gathering demanding the closure of the notorious School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC).
Please read Katherine's Personal Statement made at the gates of Fort Benning on November 17, 2005.
Katherine is currently stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia and could, at any time,be charged with refusing a direct order!
Read Katherine's Letter from Ft. Benning
We urge you to support Katherine's couregeous stand NOW!:
1) GET THE WORD OUT NOW!: Alert your organization and community about Katherines courageous stand-- send out her statement to your friends and e-mail lists, post it to your groups website, send it to your local media,etc.
2) DECIDE NOW, AS A GROUP, TO SUPPORT KATHERINE: Katherine has a right to conscientious objection and to resist illegal and immoral war and occupation-- it is not a crime! Talk to your group now and decide to support Katherine as part of a sustained campaign to support GI Resistance. Will you hold a public vigil/demonstraion ? Organize a fundraiser to support Katherines case? Consider now what you and your group can do to support Katherine.
3)JOIN THE NATIONAL GI RESISTANCE ALERT NETWORK: We urge you to join us in a National GI Resistance Alert Network! It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of the thousands of courageous men and women who have in many different ways followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq.
Courage to Resist will send out alerts about GI resisters in need of support. We are asking concerned organizations, communities, and individuals to join us and commit to a sustained campaign of support for GI resistance and conscientious objection.
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Kevin Benderman: “The only way to bring peace to the world is to let the people of the world decide for themselves what they want to spend their efforts on. I feel that in this day and age governments start wars, and not people, and since the governments want the wars then why don’t we let the government fight the war? All of the politicians that want to fight a war are free to trade places with me at any time. I will gladly go and learn war no more.” After serving in the military for eight years, including a tour of duty in Iraq, Kevin Benderman filed for conscientious objector status in December 2004. His application was quickly denied, and on the weekend of Jan. 7, 2005 Benderman refused to re-deploy to Iraq with his unit.
“As I went through the process which led to my decision to refuse deployment to Iraq for the second time, I was torn between thoughts of abandoning the soldiers that I serve with, or following my conscience, which tells me: war is the ultimate in destruction and waste of humanity." As stated in Benderman’s article, "A Matter of Conscience."
Sergeant Kevin Benderman was sentenced by U.S. court-martial on July 28th, 2005 to a 15 month sentence of imprisonment for failure to return for a second tour of duty with the US Army in Iraq. Kevin is a conscientious objector to war who has been callously imprisoned and refused his C.O. status by the U.S. Armed Services. Kevin’s legal team continues appeals of the verdict.
Kevin Benderman has been declared a “Prisoner of Conscience” by Amnesty International, and has been widely supported by many who oppose the U.S. war in Iraq. Kevin and his wife, Monica are prolific speakers and writers who have waged a very personal and courageous campaign to bring the true horrors of war to light.
Kevin remains imprisoned at Fort Lewis, Washington State.
For more information on Kevin Benderman and the history of his case
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Pablo Paredes:
“…if there's anything I could be guilty of, it is my beliefs. I am guilty of believing this war is illegal. I'm guilty of believing war in all forms is immoral and useless, and I am guilty of believing that as a service member I have a duty to refuse to participate in this war because it is illegal," On December 6, 2004, Pablo Paredes refused to board the war-bound USS Bonhomme Richard leaving from San Diego,CA. Facing charges of "Missing Movement" and "Unauthorized Absence" Pablo was court martialed on May 11, 2005 for refusing to fight in a war, he challenged, was illegal.
Pablo Paredes’ court martial on May 11th, 2005 at the San Diego, California Naval Base was one of the motivations for a nationwide Day of Action to Support GI Resisters called for by Courage to Resist on May 10th and taken up by dozens of groups across the nation!
Pablo’s court martial in San Diego turned out to be an enormous political victory for Pablo and his supporters. Many creative actions in and outside the courtroom were mounted in Pablo’s defense. From brilliant testimony in court by witnesses and attorneys, to nightly political and cultural events, the mobilization around Pablo’s case was truly inspirational! Photos
Due the strong legal case put forward as well as nationwide political pressure, Pablo Paredes was sentenced to no jail time for his act of courageous resistance. He was convicted of “Missing Movement” for failure to board ship with his unit, and sentenced to two months restriction, three months hard labor without confinement, and reduction in rank to E-1.
In early October, ten months to the day after he refused to board the war-bound USS Bonhomme Richard, and some 9 months before the scheduled expiration of his active duty obligation, Pablo Paredes is once again a civilian! On October 4, he completed his court martial sentence, and on October 6, he was discharged. Pablo is continuing his legal battle with the Armed Services, and his lawyers are currently challenging the Navy’s rejection of Pablo's request for Conscientious Objector status in the Federal Court system.
For more information on Pablo Paredes and the history of his case
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These people are a bunch of jerks. I'm really disgusted with the activities of some Americans. I have no respect for these people whatsoever.
Just tell us her draft lottery number and some of us may be on board to help. What? She volunteered? Aw, poor baby.
They also hate guns.
This is a direct, open, deliberate assault on military morale. I'm not too familiar with the UCMJ, but I think that's firing squad territory.
War sucks. It's inhumane, brutal and it is something that enlightened people should avoid at all costs. But, to try and pretend that we don't have enemies in the world is childish and stupid. To think that you don't have to do certain things to maintain your security is naive.
Main Stream Media is the real problem. Indy media is the only thing that non-leftists have going for us. The DU people seem to want to ignore the fact that our enemies will kill them along with everyone else.
It's funny how they will support courageous Katherine until her conviction at Courts Martial. Then they'll drop her like a hot potatoe and look for the next useful idiot.
"Choice between legal obligation and deepest moral values..."?
Hey Katherine, do you think you would have this conflict if they had NOT assigned you to Iraq and just let you be in the National Guard, collect the pay and benefits?
Sounds like a "Tookie Change of Heart"!
Good God, give her a dishonorable discharge and get rid of her....let her out, who wants that defending us?
She too dumb to realize that if you don't want to be a soldier then don't join the military.
I also notice that every time one of these comes up.
Like many here, I believe that without a draft there should be no such thing as CO status.
I want these people sentenced to being parachute test dummies at NAF El Centro.
Many of these (left wing) people believe that they will be drafted in the middle of the night and will wake up in Iraq.
Release them from their obligation, then garnish their future wages for every single expense incurred in their time in the guards.
"Choice between legal obligation and deepest moral values..."?
If those were her true feelings should could have requested a change of MOS to Medic. Of course that would depend on her having a high enough ASVAB score to qualify..which seems doubtful.
Kevin Benderman is nothing more than a POS and a tool for the ramsey clarkettes. His own op-ed decrying the war in Iraq and "war crimes" committed by our soldiers appeared in al-jazeerah. In actuality he only chickened out when he was assigned to the incredible Third ID at Ft Stewart GA - which meant he might actually be in harm's way as compared to his previous tour of duty. Several soldiers from his unit have been killed during this deployment while he sat on his yellow arse in a safe jail cell.
Exactly...and make it like an IRS lien, let it be known that you WILL pay back the money, sooner or later, if you pull this. No bankruptcy, hardship, or any other BS.
So the "We Support the troops, we're just against Bush" crowd finally admits that they consider those troops who serve honorably as being without conscience, are against human rights, against democratic rights, and for an illegal and unjust war and occupation?
Think about that the next time one of them says "Don't you dare say we're unpatriotic!!!!"
BTW, at this rate, the entire military will have turned against the Iraq War in 4 million years, so Bush better hurry up with that exit plan.
Dear Resist GI Resistance,
I are wantin to resist the draft and this illegal war pleaz send me $100,000,000,000 dollars to continu my fight.
Sincerely,
Daftie Dodgers
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