Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 14 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
General News   

Resistance R Us - Then ... and Now

By       (Page 6 of 7 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   No comments
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Susan Galleymore

Learn more about Ivan and Lisa and make donations to Ivan’s legal fees and related expenses: www.couragetoresist.org/donate

"We kill people in the name of keeping the peace – an oxymoron if there ever was one. After months of contemplation I concluded I no longer wanted to contribute to the ultimate violence toward other human beings that war is."

Sgt. Kevin Benderman,U.S. Army, 1st Squadron,
10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division

Kevin applied for CO status after serving one year in Iraq during which he witnessed homes bombed and people begging for food and drinking water from mud puddles. He saw the arm of an 8- or 9 year-old girl burned up to her shoulder and heard the troop executive officer say that the U.S. Army could not help as medical supplies were limited. Kevin refused a second tour to Iraq. He was court martialed and spent 15 months in jail. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience.

Learn more about Kevin’s case: http://www.bendermantimeline.com/



”When you are over there, you are lower than dirt; you are expendable as a soldier in general, and as a woman, it's worse."

Specialist Suzanne Swift, U.S. Army Military Police

Stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington and deployed to Iraq in 2004 and 2005, Suzanne Swift was sexually harassed and assaulted by superiors. After returning from Iraq, she suffered a PTSD breakdown. Upon learning that her unit was to redeploy to Iraq, Suzanne went AWOL rather than subject herself to the horrors she experienced during her first tour of duty. She was arrested at her mother's home in June 2006. In November, 2006 Lt. Gen. James Dubik, commander of Ft. Lewis, referred Swift's case to a special court martial; this means an Article 32, the military's form of a pre-trial, is not required. Charges include AWOL and Missing Movement.

After her court martial, Suzanne’s mother, Sarah Rich stated: “Suzanne faced her court martial with strength and respect. I was more than proud of her. She was sentenced to 30 days in prison and was stripped of all her rank. Being stripped of her rank was the most devastating thing for her. She is being held at the prison at Bangor Naval base in Washington. … This will be the second Christmas the Army has taken Suzanne away from us. Christmas 2004 she was in Iraq.”

Learn more about Suzanne’s case: www. SuzanneSwift.org.

I end with a quote from the U.S. Army’s First Lt. Ehren Watada, the first U.S. commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to the Iraq war and occupation. He is charged with "contemptuous words" towards President Bush and conduct unbecoming an officer; he faces over seven years in military prison. Ehren Watada’s is the first military persecution of an objector for First Amendment speech since 1965:

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Rate It | View Ratings

Susan Galleymore Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Susan Galleymore is the author of Long Time Passing: Mothers Speak about War and Terror, sharing the stories of people in Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and U.S. [Pluto Press 2009]. She is also host and producer of Raising Sand Radio (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

The Green Mayor has Toxic Sludge on his Hands

Melissa - Raped! -- For Band of Buddies War Series

Global Connections and the Arc of War

Beauty and the Beast

The Seamy Side of Coal-fired Power

Don't send your sons...

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend