|
|
|
|
airehead
Oompa Loofah
|
|
|
Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
|
| Back to top
|
|
 Posted: 06/07/06 - 16:13 Post subject: What did he think?
| Quote: | SEATTLE - As thousands of Fort Lewis Army troops prepare to head back to Iraq, one of their officers is making a stand.
A lieutenant says he is going to refuse to go, saying it's an unjust war. Anti-war groups are rallying to his defense.
Lt. Ehren Watada of the Stryker Brigade writes, "I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to stay the course. I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression.
"I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all soldiers can come home." - signed LT.
His name had been kept a secret until now, but Lt. Watada's father confirms that his son is taking this bold step and told the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper that he's proud of his son. |
Rest of the article:
http://www.komotv.com/stories/43774.htm
|
|
|
|
|
Sahara
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 17 May 2002
Posts: 3345
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/07/06 - 16:22 Post subject:
First, what business did he think the military was in when he joined?
Secondly, from the quote it seems that he has described any war ("But the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and destruction.") If his convictions have sincerely changed since joining the military then I applaud him for standing for those convictions. Not many people do that knowing that they will face difficult consequences. He better steel himself because methinks he's broken a couple of military rules.
|
|
|
|
|
Gogirlgo
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 4777
Location: No deal, stalker.
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/07/06 - 16:22 Post subject:
It might surprise you to hear this from me but I think the minute you sign up, you're signed on. Having said that, I think there are times where troops have simply rejected particular assignments and there can be disagreement about whether that's moral/legal but you can't, as a soldier, say "This war is immoral and I'm out."
Be very careful and thoughtful about what you sign.
|
|
|
|
|
airehead
Oompa Loofah
|
|
|
Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/07/06 - 16:36 Post subject:
| Gogirlgo wrote: | It might surprise you to hear this from me but I think the minute you sign up, you're signed on. Having said that, I think there are times where troops have simply rejected particular assignments and there can be disagreement about whether that's moral/legal but you can't, as a soldier, say "This war is immoral and I'm out."
Be very careful and thoughtful about what you sign. |
No kidding. And no, it doesn't surprise me to hear that from you. You are a very intelligent person who thinks through all the ramifications of a situation BEFORE you actually commit.
I can't imagine any company or organization that one would be a part of that one would always 100% agree with the direction the company is going. (Although, most often it doesn't involve death and dying)
|
|
|
|
|
andydp
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 8122
Location: Upstate NY near Albany
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/07/06 - 16:37 Post subject:
| Gogirlgo wrote: | It might surprise you to hear this from me but I think the minute you sign up, you're signed on. Having said that, I think there are times where troops have simply rejected particular assignments and there can be disagreement about whether that's moral/legal but you can't, as a soldier, say "This war is immoral and I'm out."
Be very careful and thoughtful about what you sign. |
Just for information - there are way more steps to becoming an officer than becoming an enlistee. If you go the ROTC Route its four years and you can back out at almost any time. When you raise your right hand its over.
The Lieutenant has nothing to stand on - to me he is simply chickening out. There were plenty of opportunites for him to stop the Commissioning process and get out before he "got his orders". Sorry, I have no sympathy for this person.
On a practical sense it will be very very very difficult for him to claim "conscientius objector" status unless he can prove a lifetime committed to anti war - which by being an ROTC Cadet he certainly did not show.
With a volunteer military no one is being forced to sign up. No one held a gun to the Lieutenant's head and made him get his commission. I may add after getting some of Uncle Sam's money its time for pay back.
|
|
|
|
|
jrjo
Gone Fishin
|
|
|
Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 16451
Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/07/06 - 17:13 Post subject:
| andydp wrote: | | The Lieutenant has nothing to stand on - to me he is simply chickening out. There were plenty of opportunites for him to stop the Commissioning process and get out before he "got his orders". |
..sure sounds like a foxhole-conversion to becoming anti-war.
|
|
|
|
|
robp
Pyromaniac
|
|
|
Joined: 26 Jul 2002
Posts: 16242
Location: Waiting in line at the beer store...
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/08/06 - 07:37 Post subject:
"I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all soldiers can come home." - signed LT.
If this isn't a copout I don't know what is. I'd throw his ass in the brig for 90 days and then hand him a dishonorable.
|
|
|
|
|
sonnylax
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 2942
Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/09/06 - 07:46 Post subject:
What part of "volunteer army" did he not understand? Hope he likes Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
|
|
|
|
|
coachmarkos
my boys could swim
|
|
|
Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 11387
Location: 1st in AFC West
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 06/10/06 - 02:16 Post subject:
dude signed and pledged an oath.
he is basically saying his word isn't worth anything by breaking it.
|
|
|
|
