3. If the convening authority at Fort Bragg denies Lt. Lorance's petition for clemency, all soldiers sent to fight in future wars where it is difficult to distinguish innocent civilians from the enemy they are trying to kill, will be serving without the support of the United States Army and risk being condemned and sent to prison by the United States Army for trying to protect the men under their command and fighting beside them.
We could hear something any day.
JB: So, what you seem to be saying in point #3 is that going forward any soldier could give up his freedom for doing what he was put there to do. War is bad enough without feeling that your government doesn't have your back. That's really horrible. What can any of us do? Beyond feeling bad about this, of course. What did Col. Maher say? What does he think the odds are in this case?
DS: Col Maher is just hopeful that the army will do the right thing by Clint, for the sake of the army he loves and has served. If the convening authority denies the petition for clemency, Col. Maher will carry the case through the long arduous appellate process which could take years. All of this time, by the way-- the time waiting to hear from the army-- the time to appeal, all of this is more time of Clint's life being wasted. I want to army to stop wasting more lives for Afghanistan. I think enough lives have been wasted there.
Right now what your readers can do is write to Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. We are going to approach him to ask him to speak directly to the Secretary of the Army, Chuck Hagel, who was a wonderful soldier in his time.
JB: Let's make it easier and include Sen. Durbin telephone and fax numbers* below.
DS: Thank you very much, Joan.
JB: My pleasure, Don. Please keep us in the loop. The way a nation treats its citizens reflects so much about its values, don't you think? Most of us are not enamored of war or the whole war machine. This is an opportunity for the Army to do the right thing and not make a soldier's job even more difficult than it already is.
DS: I agree, Joan. Some of what was lost in the war in Afghanistan can be returned to the American people now, by restoring the honor of this one soldier who served in the name of the American people. Thank you again.
***
*Senator Durbin's contact information:
Washington office: (202) 224-2152 - phone; (202) 228-0400 - fax
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