You and I may be wrong about Donald Trump.  Under his leadership, the US may finally find the policies of war and empire counter-productive.  An era of peaceful coexistence with our sisters and brothers here on Mother Earth may follow shortly thereafter.  Could that happen?  Sure, it’s “possible”—in the “I’m spending my paycheck buying lottery tickets, instead of buying food for my kids today” kind of way.

 

Ask yourself these two questions about where we’re heading under the leadership of the The Donald, his Twitter account, and what he happens to watch on Fox News any particular morning:  Is there an increased chance of direct US involvement in conflicts around the world, either by design, incompetency, or even illiteracy?  And, if so, might a significant number of US military service members openly question killing and dying for these insane plans and/or blunders?

 

I believe the answers to both questions are, unequivocally, yes.  Courage to Resist is working hard to prepare to do our part to support such common sense, infused with heroism.  That’s why, this month, we’ve launched a new podcast series, are debuting exclusive collaborative news and analysis articles, and have completely redesigned our website. 

 

We have a simple story to tell: Military war objectors are proof that courage and resistance is not futile, and that with support, we can win.

 

Within a few days, two heroic objectors, both of whom we have supported for much of the last decade, will walk out of prison and move on with their lives—Chelsea Manning, from Fort Leavenworth on May 17, and the following week, Iraq War refuser Ryan Johnson, from the Miramar Naval Brig near San Diego.  We’re extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished on behalf of Ryan and Chelsea.  However, the near future brings the very real possibility of mass resistance, certainly, unlike anything we’ve seen since the final years of the US war in Vietnam.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Jeff for Courage to Resist

 

p.s. Yes, it's really happening. Chelsea will be walking out of Fort Leavenworth a week from now. This wouldn't be happening today, if not for the financial support of over 30,000 people who contributed to her Courage to Resist-hosted defense fund.