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From a soldier's mouth...

Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
edited September 2008 in A Moving Train
Hello fellow Pearl Jam fans :) I'm a soldier seeking conscientious objection for my views against war and I have a few words to say...

I know the RNC is old news, but this video really touched my heart and I feel the need to share it with you all and hope that you feel the same...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjm6Z_uZakQ

I feel that politicians and media pundits really have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in so I get my information from the soldiers that have actually been there. If you'd like to hear more testimonies of soldiers, you should check out...

Iraq Veterans Against the War
http://www.ivaw.org
"In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

Iraq Veterans Against the War
www.ivaw.org
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    wow ... the dude with the tattoo was pretty poignant ...

    in any case - good luck to you ... if they send you overseas - you can try and come to toronto but the first guy who came just lost his appeal i think to stay ...

    edit: just heard on the radio jeremy hintzman has been given a temporary reprieve - he was due to be deported tomorrow but a judget gave him a stay while they review his appeal to stay on humanitarian grounds ...
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    To say the least...
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    Shadowflame05 wrote:
    Hello fellow Pearl Jam fans :) I'm a soldier seeking conscientious objection for my views against war and I have a few words to say...

    I know the RNC is old news, but this video really touched my heart and I feel the need to share it with you all and hope that you feel the same...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjm6Z_uZakQ

    I feel that politicians and media pundits really have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in so I get my information from the soldiers that have actually been there. If you'd like to hear more testimonies of soldiers, you should check out...

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    http://www.ivaw.org

    That's Amy Goodman who just arrested at the RNC convention. Charges have been dropped against the 40 journalist arrested today.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    Yah, I'm a big fan of Amy Goodman. I knew they had raided activists houses before the RNC happened because I was at the Veterans For Peace convention in Minneapolis and everyone was talking about it, but I wasn't aware that 40 more journalists were arrested.
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    When did you enlist?
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    Shadowflame05 wrote:
    Yah, I'm a big fan of Amy Goodman. I knew they had raided activists houses before the RNC happened because I was at the Veterans For Peace convention in Minneapolis and everyone was talking about it, but I wasn't aware that 40 more journalists were arrested.

    This came from Amy's Headline report this morning...

    St. Paul Drops Charges Against Journalists Arrested at RNC

    The city of St. Paul has announced charges will be dropped against journalists who were arrested during the Republican National Convention protests and cited with unlawful assembly. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said Friday that the city attorney’s office recommended against prosecuting reporters for the misdemeanor charge. Over forty journalists were arrested or detained during the Republican Convention, including three of us at Democracy Now!: myself and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    When did you enlist?

    I enlisted when I was 17 years old
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    What year/month? And what branch of the Military?
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    may 2004 Army National Guard
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    I'm not being a dick, but didn't you know there was a war going on? How about switching to other branches of the military, I know you can move to the Army Res. into a non-combat MOS. What is your MOS anyway? How about the Air National Guard? Should be easier to make that transition with in your own state. And if you joined in 04, I would guess your enlistment ends in 2010? If thats the case, you only got two years left, you might as well ride it out instead of going through the paperwork and drama. Is your unit coming up on an deployment?
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    Shadowflame05 wrote:
    Hello fellow Pearl Jam fans :) I'm a soldier seeking conscientious objection for my views against war and I have a few words to say...

    I know the RNC is old news, but this video really touched my heart and I feel the need to share it with you all and hope that you feel the same...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjm6Z_uZakQ

    I feel that politicians and media pundits really have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in so I get my information from the soldiers that have actually been there. If you'd like to hear more testimonies of soldiers, you should check out...

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    http://www.ivaw.org

    So you haven't even been to Iraq and you say that politicians and the media have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in? How do you know you're against it?
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • heartdesireheartdesire Posts: 430
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    I'm not being a dick, but didn't you know there was a war going on? How about switching to other branches of the military, I know you can move to the Army Res. into a non-combat MOS. What is your MOS anyway? How about the Air National Guard? Should be easier to make that transition with in your own state. And if you joined in 04, I would guess your enlistment ends in 2010? If thats the case, you only got two years left, you might as well ride it out instead of going through the paperwork and drama. Is your unit coming up on an deployment?

    Not to a bitch OffHeGoes29, but chill out on this guy. I knew you were gonna dive in by the questions you were asking.

    I know him. He is a good kid who has an amazing peaceful heart. I've spent quite a bit of time with him of late. He was really young when he signed up with the consent of his parents. I'll let him share his story ... just chill out on him ...
    "i'm a dedicated insomniac" ~ ev nyc beacon 6/22
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    I'm not being a dick, but didn't you know there was a war going on? How about switching to other branches of the military, I know you can move to the Army Res. into a non-combat MOS. What is your MOS anyway? How about the Air National Guard? Should be easier to make that transition with in your own state. And if you joined in 04, I would guess your enlistment ends in 2010? If thats the case, you only got two years left, you might as well ride it out instead of going through the paperwork and drama. Is your unit coming up on an deployment?

    Yes I knew there was a war going on, but like many young men in this country I believed all the lies and deception that mainstream media had thrown at me. I was heavily influenced by the violent nature of our culture and had a view that by going into the military I could help change the world for the better, which I'm not arguing the military hasn't done, but I have found ways more peaceful to do so which don't involve the killing of other people.
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • melodiousmelodious Posts: 1,719
    know1 wrote:
    So you haven't even been to Iraq and you say that politicians and the media have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in? How do you know you're against it?
    Maybe it's the same army you are enlisted....:)

    Salvation
    all insanity:
    a derivitive of nature.
    nature is god
    god is love
    love is light
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    know1 wrote:
    So you haven't even been to Iraq and you say that politicians and the media have no right to talk about a war they haven't participated in? How do you know you're against it?

    My views on this war don't come from the media, but from the soldiers that have actually been there. I know I'm against it because I've spent a great deal of time speaking with the veterans whom have been there. But on a bigger scale I no longer believe in the entity of war as a whole, I know in my heart there must be better ways of changing this world than by war and I won't support a war of any kind, regardless of the political, social, or economic interests involved. War results in death and destruction on both sides, something I've witnessed firsthand, and if you know Tomas Young you've witnessed it too.
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    Shadowflame05 wrote:
    My views on this war don't come from the media, but from the soldiers that have actually been there. .

    Maybe some of the media is getting their views from the soldiers that have been there too.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    You do also know any bonus they gave you will be taken back; I hope it wasn't a large sum of money like 15k to 20k?

    There are a lot of was to serve your country with out being in a combat situation:

    Active Duty Air Force
    Air Force Reserves
    Air National Guard
    Active Duty Navy
    Naval Reserves
    Active Duty Coast Guard
    Coast Guard Reserves

    They all need good people and have plenty of jobs that don't involve long deployments in combat. It really depends on your job and unit, but the ARNG during these times is asking for a tour.

    I did six years active duty Air Force as an aircraft Mec. and now I'm in the Air National Guard while I go to school. Never been deployed once, didn't even try to avoid it, just never happen. In fact it seems like the only way you could get deployed in my career field is to volunteer for a three month rotation if it was available.

    Just because you're in the military doesn't mean you support any specific cause. You do whats needed when America calls you, regardless of the political and social direction. If we where to be "fair weather" members of the military, then the United States would have a track record like the Italians and the French during war time. We all swore to protect the US, and if combat isn't for you, there is absolutely no shame in that what so ever, you can finish your time in a better suited career field.

    80% of the military is a support function; they need more people in those jobs then in a combat related career field. I will give credit to the people who step up and are apart of the small percentage of combat related jobs, not just anyone can do that. I was going to join the active duty Army in the summer of 01, but my father and step father were in combat related career fields during their time in the Army, and pointed me towards the Air Force. Best choice I've ever made, and that has nothing to do with the current war in Iraq.

    I honestly don't care if you support the Iraq war or not, just think long and hard about what you are about to do. It might not be worth it in the end.
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    If the media really wanted to hear from the soldiers of this war maybe they might have covered the Winter Soldier testimonials in D.C. in March, but there was a blackout from all major news sources and was only covered by Democracy Now! and other non-mainstream news organizations.
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    You do also know any bonus they gave you will be taken back; I hope it wasn't a large sum of money like 15k to 20k?

    There are a lot of was to serve your country with out being in a combat situation:

    Active Duty Air Force
    Air Force Reserves
    Air National Guard
    Active Duty Navy
    Naval Reserves
    Active Duty Coast Guard
    Coast Guard Reserves

    They all need good people and have plenty of jobs that don't involve long deployments in combat. It really depends on your job and unit, but the ARNG during these times is asking for a tour.

    I did six years active duty Air Force as an aircraft Mec. and now I'm in the Air National Guard while I go to school. Never been deployed once, didn't even try to avoid it, just never happen. In fact it seems like the only way you could get deployed in my career field is to volunteer for a three month rotation if it was available.

    Just because you're in the military doesn't mean you support any specific cause. You do whats needed when America calls you, regardless of the political and social direction. If we where to be "fair weather" members of the military, then the United States would have a track record like the Italians and the French during war time. We all swore to protect the US, and if combat isn't for you, there is absolutely no shame in that what so ever, you can finish your time in a better suited career field.

    80% of the military is a support function; they need more people in those jobs then in a combat related career field. I will give credit to the people who step up and are apart of the small percentage of combat related jobs, not just anyone can do that. I was going to join the active duty Army in the summer of 01, but my father and step father were in combat related career fields during their time in the Army, and pointed me towards the Air Force. Best choice I've ever made, and that has nothing to do with the current war in Iraq.

    I honestly don't care if you support the Iraq war or not, just think long and hard about what you are about to do. It might not be worth it in the end.

    I appreciate your concern, I really do. Unfortunately, I've simply found that my path in this life does not lie with the military and I have chosen to walk a different road, not a better one, or worse, just a different way to the same light :)
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    Shadowflame05 wrote:
    I appreciate your concern, I really do. Unfortunately, I've simply found that my path in this life does not lie with the military and I have chosen to walk a different road, not a better one, or worse, just a different way to the same light :)

    Ok, fair enough. Good luck with everything, hope its and easy process.
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • melodiousmelodious Posts: 1,719
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    Ok, fair enough. Good luck with everything, hope its and easy process.
    Big hug to you Shadow....

    I knew you were a member of the a different kind of army....

    Peace
    all insanity:
    a derivitive of nature.
    nature is god
    god is love
    love is light
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    Ok, fair enough. Good luck with everything, hope its and easy process.

    Thank you, it hasn't been easy at all so far, but I've never been one to take the easy way out :D
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
  • Shadowflame05Shadowflame05 Posts: 40
    melodious wrote:
    Big hug to you Shadow....

    I knew you were a member of the a different kind of army....

    Peace

    Aww, thanx melodious :) Big hug to you as well my friend.
    "In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill" -Gandhi

    Iraq Veterans Against the War
    www.ivaw.org
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