VIDEO | Lt. Ehren Watada's Speech: "Soldiers Can Choose to Stop Fighting"
Veterans for Peace Convention - August 12, 2006
A Film by Sari Gelzer
http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm
In Seattle at the Veterans for Peace Convention, Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq, spoke about what he calls a "change of strategy" for the peace movement. Watada said: "Today, I speak with you about a radical idea ... The idea is this: that to stop an illegal and unjust war, the soldiers can choose to stop fighting it." He received overwhelming support from the crowd, and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War lined the stage in solidarity. His speech came five days before his August 17th pre-trial hearing for refusing deployment to Iraq.


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www.VelvetRevolution.us
I had a similar thought
I had a similar thought myself this week after I read the item on this website about the soldiers who were on their way home and then were told they had been redeployed to Iraq. Can't they just hijack a plane and fly home??? I know, they'll lose all their military status and pay, etc., but at least they'll be home. It's like what union activists face...
Wholesale, Not Retail
Your idea would make sense, but you need to expand it a bit:
http://www.smallgov.org/?p=210
---The Bikemessenger
LT
He should go to jail for the rest of his life. He failed to obey the orders of the officers appointed over him. He is a disgarce to the uniform and should be treated as a traitor. Hope he gets to pound big rocks into little for a long time.
Yup! Never Question Authority . . Grown Ups Are ALWAYS Right!!
Yup, never question Authority . .. Grown Ups are ALWAYS right . . .
If they say, "JUMP!" .. . you say, "How high?" . .. if they say, "KILL!" . .. you say, "How many?" . .. ;-)
Especially when it comes to rich Grown Ups that are creating artificial markets for their corporate death wares . . . Fear, Shame and Sex sell, baby . . .
. . . Not to mention killing women and children with illegal weapons for a foreign power's political/religious agenda . . .;-)
Just think how "respected" you'll be, kidz, with all those purty medals hanging on your uniform . . . and when you die "winning hearts and minds while spreading freedom", your family gets a really nice flag . . .
. . . I think with this war your family can choose between the standard USA "Stars and Stripes" or the new Israeli "Seal of Rothschild" flags, but I'm not 100% sure on that . .. ;-)
I know we sure are "proud" of that flag they draped my sister's husband in from Vietnam . . . this completely makes up for the years of struggle she and her daughters went through trying to make the government hold up its end of the bargain as far as death benefits. . . The BIG PRINT giveth .. the small print taketh away . . ;-)
"And I started jumpin up and down
Yelling, 'KILL, KILL,'
And he started jumpin up and down with me
And we was both jumping up and down
Yelling, 'KILL, KILL.'
And the sargent came over,
Pinned a medal on me,
Sent me down the hall,
And said, 'You're our boy.'"
- Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie
peace.
KIDZ!!!
I am not a member of your so called KIDZ fraternity of left wing nuts. Just because you have never but on a uniform(probaly becauser your a draft dodging asshole) does not mean you can push or preach your crap to people like myself. You lyric quotes are becoming a bore. You porbaly grew up in a wealthy family and got your education while many of us Americans had to work hard to where we got today. Don't talk to me about what is leagl or nopt legal. This conflict is just. How do you explain the atrocites that were comttied by Hussein? Killing of his own people. Are they better off? In my opinion and my own eyes, Yes they are. Nuts like you, Sheehan, Moore, and the idiot Swanson are the reason that many American service men have died in order for you to say what you are saying and all you do in return is to spit in their faces and mine. Listen here FRED, go put on a uniform and goto to Iraq or Afganistan and tell me then that this fight isn't worth it. You might just open you eyes. Then again, your blindness is all that you have.
Don't Hold Back, Anonymous . . . Tell Us What You Really Think .
Don't hold back, Anonymous . .. Tell us what you really think!!! .. . ;-)
Anonymous writes:
"Just because you have never but on a uniform(probaly becauser your a draft dodging asshole) does not mean you can push or preach your crap to people like myself."
I am not really sure about your logic here, brother . . . but I sense "hostility". .. Nope, not a draft dodger because, while I am indeed registered with Selective Service, my number never came up, Of course, my older brother and I got to enjoy the wonderful experience of spending our teenage years with that fear/dread hanging over us during Vietnam .. . My sister's husband wasn't so lucky . . he died and they sent the pieces back to us to bury. . . .
As far as preaching or "pushing" my viewpoint on you, I believe you logged into this website forum of your own free will and chose to read my foolish words and ridiculous riddles when you could have easily skipped over to something more of your liking . .. I make a point to always use my NAME on all my posts so that regulars to this forum know in advance they risk going down the foolish "rabbit hole" if they continue reading my daft words . . ;-)
You continue your anonymous ad hominem attack on this ol' yippy fool with:
"You porbaly grew up in a wealthy family and got your education while many of us Americans had to work hard to where we got today"
Nope, 100% North Cackilacki white trash trying hard to make it to middle class status . . . currently just making rent and dumpster diving at the local coop for food . . .on my own since I was 17, waited tables and slung drinks to put myself through college so I could get a "good job" only to get blacklisted by BushCo . . .my wife and I lost our house and farm in the deal . .. even if I was still in good standing with the Grown Ups, I would have to move to India to do the computer tele-communications work I am trained in. . . I think they called it "Right Sizing" in corporate circles . .. seems more like corporate Roman Decimation to me .. . ;-)
Anonymous write:
"Don't talk to me about what is leagl or nopt legal. This conflict is just. How do you explain the atrocites that were comttied by Hussein? Killing of his own people. Are they better off? In my opinion and my own eyes, Yes they are."
Well, this ol' fool just sees it a little different, I guess. It violates international law to preemptively attack a country and topple its government. I violates US Consitutional Law to deliberately lie to Congress to go to war on false pretenses.
. . .As far as a leader killing his own people, seems to me that the great usurper killed his share of Texans while he was governor . . . so do we play by "Thou Shalt Not Kill" Game Rules or by "Leaders get to kill their own people if they can justify it to enough people"??? . . . and of course, I am so "nutz" that I say that Dubya, his brother Marvin and their CIA/MOSSAD/MI5 friends have even more blood on their hands for the premeditated MURDER of over 3000 Americans . .. crazy as a loon, I am . .. ;-)
Anonymous writes:
"Nuts like you, Sheehan, Moore, and the idiot Swanson are the reason that many American service men have died in order for you to say what you are saying and all you do in return is to spit in their faces and mine."
Again I fail to follow your logic and reasoning here . . . last time I checked, I was not authorized to send our military into battle. Only the US Congress may declare war and authorize its funding, and only the President can send troops into battle under the War Powers Act . . ;-) However, you flatter me by listing me among some of the Greatest American Heroes of our generation, Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, and our own brother David Swanson . . . an association of which I am not worthy . . . for they have done great things and made great sacrifices for this country that they love. . . I am merely a fool . .. ;-)
I don't know about "spitting in the faces" of our service men and women . . . but I do seem to spend a lot of time listening to a lot of very angry and terrified kidz from the North Cackilacki military bases around here . . . we older kidz just do the best we can to make sure they enjoy their time at the beach and in the clubs and try to get them home safely . . . and we try to help support their families while they are deployed.
Anonymous writes:
"Listen here FRED, go put on a uniform and goto to Iraq or Afganistan and tell me then that this fight isn't worth it. You might just open you eyes. Then again, your blindness is all that you have."
I think I'll pass . . . For one, the only uniforms I've ever worn were high school marching band, baseketball team, and boy scouts . . . I was never really thrilled with the "uniform" concept, even back then. . . Second, I can see from here in my beach shorts and flip flops that this war is illegal, immoral and a total cluster fuck.
As far as my "blindness" goes, I believe the man said it best, kidz, "I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"
But, I am curious about something, Anonymous .. . since you seem to be so aware of the situation . . . can you explain to me how WTC7 collapsed on 9/11?. . .;-)
"Let's impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He's the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war"
- Let's Impeach The President by Neil Young
peace.
Re; LT
Lt. Watada is a true Officer and patriot,Military code says that a soldier must refuse an order that is illegal. When the German soldiers at the Nuremburg Trials claimed they were just following orders their defense was rejected ,they were told that they should have refused to follow orders they knew were illegal and immoral.Everyone knows this war was started illegally and as such ALL officers should refuse to comply w/ illegal orders,and officials that sent them should be held accountable.
Wtach This
You need to watch this.
https://www.infantry.army.mil/videos/video22/index.htm
Nuremberg Principles?
Can a soldier choose to stop fighting based on these?:
http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-nurem.htm
IMPEACH PNAC> "OUT" THE CABAL !
http://tinyurl.com/a8uz9
Lt. Ehren Watada's public speech...
Wow, what a true American. I too served in the military (many years ago) and I felt so proud to hear his speech. With true Americans like him, willing to risk his personal freedoms, there may be hope for the future.
Ehren Watada
If US soldiers could decide which wars to fight you would have soldiers on the "dole" in peacetime. When a war broke out, you could have no sodiers to fight the war, especially one that is overseas where "only" US interests and allies are involved.