Iraq vet returns medals to
Rumsfeld Catholics initiate call to GI's
to refuse Message from Fr. Bernard
Survil
Raiding homes in Iraq, refusing to return
An interview with Mark Wilkerson by Aaron Glantz, co-produced by Sarah Olson, for KPFA Radio August 18, 2007. 19 min. audio edited by Courage to Resist (complete transcript). Live broadcast available here. Following his presentation at the Courage to Resist hosted workshop at the 2007 Veterans for Peace National Convention in St. Louis, Mark sat down with Aaron Glantz and David Cortright, author of "Soldiers in Revolt". Mark was a Army MP in Iraq. He talks about joining the military, the reality of the Iraq occupation, his five months in the Fort Sill brig, and how people can better support today's GI resisters. At the time of this interview, Mark had just been released from the brig only days earlier. Listen to and/or read Mark's story
Wisconsin Iraq vet returns medals to Rumsfeld
By David Solnit, Courage to Resist / Army of None Project. September 26, 2007 "I swore an oath to protect the constitution ... not to become a pawn in your New American Century." - Joshua Gaines Madison, Wisconsin—Joshua Gaines, who served a year long tour in Iraq in 2004 to 2005 with the Army Reserve, returned his Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today by mail as dozens of supporters look on. Fifty students, community members and veterans walked a brisk pace down the middle of State Street in a bee-line through downtown Madison Wisconsin into the halls of the giant White State House Capitol Building. Joshua Gaines, wearing black and carrying his medals in a postal envelope. walked five paces ahead. "We Support War Resisters. They're our brothers they're our sisters," the group chanted as we walked through the streets and into the capital. Once in the building, chants echoing off the marble walls, Joshua thanked everyone for their support and placed his medals—in an envelope—in the mail box. Afterwards the group met with the Governor's Office to call for the State National Guard to returning to state control and bring them home. At a brief prior gathering at the University of Wisconsin the new Students for a Democratic Society, Campus Anti-War Network, community members, and Vietnam Veteran Will Williams, Gulf War I veteran Aimee Allison, and Iraq veteran Todd Dennis stood by Josh Gaines' side as he explained his actions. Joshua Gaines stated in part:
The Army Times ran an Associated Press article about Joshua's actions, which included a quote from Ryan Hill, who served with Gaines in Iraq. "I'm proud of him for doing that. I feel the same way about my medals."
Catholics initiate call to GI's to refuse
"Refuse to kill. Refuse the order to go to war ... We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage." By Jonah House and Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. September 28, 2007 Brothers and sisters in the military: "Refuse to fight! Refuse to kill!" You are being ordered to war in the footsteps of veterans, who, more than 10 years ago, were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Many of those vets returned with severe and unacknowledged illnesses. Many gave birth to severely deformed children. All were abandoned by the Veterans Administration. You are being ordered to war by the most powerful nation on earth. You are being ordered to war by a nation with the most destructive weapons ever conceived, developed, deployed or used. You are being ordered to war by a nation whose self-acknowledged posture is that of world domination, mastery, control. This nation can have no moral justification for war. We, the undersigned, are convinced that war is the greatest evil on earth. We believe that humankind must end war, or war will end humankind, and, in fact, all of creation. Our convictions have driven us time and again to the Pentagon, White House and Congress in acts of civil resistance to war. Now, we bring our plea to you, sisters and brothers, in the armed forces.
We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage. But please reflect:
Wrong is easy. Right is difficult and long. Do what your heart says is right. We knowingly and willingly make this plea to you in violation of 18 USC Sec. 1381 and 2387 (see below). We knowingly and willingly embrace some of your risk by urging you to refuse duty in the U.S. military. We plead with you, as Bishop Oscar Romero pleaded with Salvadoran troops: "When you hear the words of a man telling you to kill, remember instead the words of God: 'Thou shalt not kill!' No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God?In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much and whose laments cry out to heaven, I beseech you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression!'" If you choose to leave the military, please know that our hearts and homes are open to you. Read more, including signatures
Vatican to venerate conscientious objector
Many conscientious service members have been speaking out despite an often oppressive and unforgiving atmosphere. Some of us have even been persecuted and attacked while exercising our civic duty of speaking truth to power in times of moral crises. The Rev. Lennox Yearwood, an Air Force chaplain, faces accusations of working against national security. Liam Madden, fellow Iraq Veterans Against the War member and co-founder of Appeal for Redress, is defending his project against comments that are similarly repeated daily to men and women in the armed forces who are speaking out; effectively demanding that our GIs remain silent and obey our leaders blindly. In a few months, the Vatican will beatify a fellow conscientious objector who stood for peace over prejudice, humility over arrogance. Like a growing number of servicemen and women in our modern conflict, this soldier of conscience would not bend to demands that he serve the country’s militaristic intentions. He faced accusations of cowardice and outright treason, even of threatening national security. The book "In Solitary Witness" by Gordon Zahn, revealed that Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer, was beheaded by the Third Reich in August 1943 after refusing to serve in the German army. The Catholic Peace Fellowship reports he will be beatified on October 26, 2007, in his home country, and provides information on how Jägerstätter and countless other Christians have chosen conscientious objection, often in the face of significant harassment from Christian and secular critics alike... Read Iraq veteran Logan Laituri's complete article
A message from Fr. Bernard Survil
Resistance to the Iraq War by Catholics who examine what transpired in Austria October 27, 2007 [info below] can only increase, aided by the Courage to Resist movement with specific cases posted online for the public. May Catholic youth especially seek out this website. On the October 27, 2007 the Roman Catholic Church honored Franz Jägerstätter, a World War II Austrian resister to an unjust war waged by an ideological-driven regime. Beheaded for his belief, he is declared a martyr worthy of emulation. The canonization prayer reads: “In faith, he followed his conscience, and said a decisive NO…to unjust war…We pray ..that many people may be encouraged by him…May his example shine out in our time…” Please make a donation to support the work of Courage to Resist. |
Raiding homes in Iraq, refusing to return
