Tony Anderson sentenced to 14 months
19 year-old Army Private
Anderson refused to deploy to Iraq in July
on
grounds of conscientious objection to war. Help us cover the remaining $500 of his
legal bill, and write Tony today!
Prisoner of conscience writes
Obama
"My name is Robin Long. I am currently
serving a 15-month sentence at a
Naval brig in California. I am locked up for refusing to participate in
the invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq..."
Mentally ill soldier gets
stockade
Daniel Sandate was a good soldier. He
did OK in the Army until he deployed in Iraq. Later, dealing with severe
PTSD, he went AWOL, become suicidal, and returned for help.
Five simple things you can
do
...to organize war resister support in your community
Courage to Resist offers five suggestions on
how your local community can get involved and act directly to stop unjust
war and occupation by supporting GI resistance.
Objector released
after 7 month sentence (link only)
Robert
Weiss was released
November 9 from the U.S. military prison at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim,
Germany."Everything is exciting to me right now ... I am aware this
euphoria will probably only last a week or so," Robert told friends
at the airport headed home.
Resister Tony Anderson
sentenced to 14 months
By Sarah Lazare, Courage to Resist for AlterNet. November 20, 2008
For the next two weeks, you can write to Tony at: Tony Anderson /
El
Paso County Sheriff's Office / 2739 E. Las Vegas / Colorado Springs, CO
80906
19 year-old Army private Tony Anderson was court martialed Monday
and sentenced to 14 months of confinement and given a dishonorable
discharge from the military for "desertion with intent to avoid
hazardous duty" and "disobeying a lawful order." The young
soldier
refused to deploy to Iraq in July of this year on the grounds of
conscientious objection to war.
"I know in my heart that it is wrong to willfully hurt or kill
another human being. I simply cannot do it. I don't regret following my
conscience," he said at his trial as he struggled to compose himself.
"I know there must be consequences for my actions and I must accept
this fact."
Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Colorado Springs peace
organizations attended the Ft. Carson, Colorado court martial to show
their support for the young soldier. Immediately after being sentenced,
Anderson was placed in handcuffs and taken to the Colorado Springs
Criminal Justice Center, where he will be held for a few weeks until he
is moved to an army stockade.
The 14 month sentence is one of the longest given to a U.S. military
serviceperson for refusing to fight in Iraq.
Read more...
Donate to Tony's defense at
www.couragetoresist.org/tonyanderson
Prisoner of conscience Robin
Long's letter to Obama
By Robin Long, prisoner of conscience
November 6, 2008
Dear President-elect Obama,
My name is Robin Long. I am currently serving a 15-month sentence at
a Naval brig in California. I am locked up for refusing to participate
in the invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq, a military action I
felt was wrong and an action condemned by most of the international
community.
It was illegal and immoral.
My sentence also includes dishonorable discharge. I was no doubt
made an example, because not only did I refuse to deploy by going AWOL
but I spoke out. I spoke out about the atrocities that are going on
over there and also the extensive web of lies the Bush administration
told us and Congress, to go over there. I did all of this very openly
while AWOL in Canada, where I was making a life for myself.
When I joined the Army in 2003 I felt honored to be serving my
country. I was behind the President. I thought it was an honorable
venture to be in Iraq. I was convinced by the lies of the Bush
administration just like Congress and a majority of Americans. But just
because I joined the Army doesn't mean I abdicated my ability to
evolve
intellectually and morally. When I realized the war in Iraq was a
mistake, I saw refusing to fight as my only option. My conscience was
screaming at me not to participate.
I feel, like many others, that a government that punishes its
citizens for taking a moral stand for humanity and against injustices
will lose the faith of its people. The war in Iraq was a Bush
administration mistake and my punishment is a product of that mistake
and failed policy. Please see that I am being punished for my ideals
and morals and for standing up to a giant so my voice could be heard.
People can't be afraid to stand up and say "This is wrong, we
need
change."
You may say I signed a contract. I'd like to quote from a letter
that Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Washington in April of 1793 on
his thoughts of contracts and the French Treaties. And I quote "When
performance, for instance, becomes impossible, non-performance is not
immoral. So if performance becomes self destructive for the party, the
law of self preservation overrules the laws of obligations to others.
For the reality of these principals I appeal to the true fountains of
evidence, the heart and head of every rational honest man."
Read more...
Mentally ill soldier sentenced
to 8 months in stockade
Courage to Resist.
November 18, 2008 update
Daniel Sandate, a mentally ill US soldier, was deported from Canada
and sentenced to 8 months in the stockade at the end of a brief
court-martial at Ft. Carson, Colorado on Monday, November 17. His
civilian lawyer, James Branum, describes this case below and asks that
you consider making a donation to his legal defense.
The case of Daniel Sandate
Daniel grew up with a horrific home life that is indescribable in
nature, so understandably he grew up experiening severe trauma and
mental health issues. His adolensence and young adulthood were brutal
but he hoped that joining the Army would give him a sense of purpose
and a reason to live.
Sandate was a good soldier. He performed reasonably well in training
and did ok in the Army until he deployed in Iraq. Like many soldiers,
he was forced to see and participate in things that no human should
ever have to go through. He came home from Iraq shook to the core and
with a strong case of PTSD.
Daniel tried to get help from the Army but he was blown off, time
and time again. His situation was quickly spiraling in a negative
direction (he was very suicidal at this point, which was scary because
he had tried to kill himself before even joining the Army), so when he
met new friend online who lived in Canada, he thought it would be nice
to take a break from the Army and hang out up there for awhile. He
always wanted to come back at some point, but just needed a break and
some time to recover his sanity.
Read more...
Five simple things you can do
...to organize war resister support in your
community
By Courage to
Resist. November 7, 2008
Support networks are a vital part of the war resistance movement:
providing political, emotional, and material support to military
objectors and helping amplify their stories of resistance lays the
foundation for a strong movement and ensures that resisters do not have
to go it alone. Through collective aid and alliance, we can act
directly to stop unjust war and occupation.
This document contains suggestions about how your local community
can get involved in these efforts. Please keep in mind that this is not
meant to be a blueprint for what your organizing must look like, but
rather, a collection of ideas and possibilities, to provide a starting
point for those who are not sure how to begin. Courage to Resist would
love to work with you in the future to figure out how these ideas best
fit in with your community.
Read more... |