WHO ARE THE MUTINEERS?
AND HOW YOU CAN HELP.
The Pentagon recently released a figure of 40,000 that have deserted from the armed services since the invasion of Iraq. 200 military war resisters and their families have relocated to Canada – causing the conservative government headaches and legal disputes in their courts as they try to kick the deserters back over the border.
People are getting together about this hot issue in the United States.
And a few are doing it with quite a bit of flair for history and style.
THIS GUY’s GOT STYLE.
Vietnam Veteran, a former Navy medic reports that many more mutinies are on the way while under “house arrest”. Yep! You read it right – Ferner’s waging a fearless non-violent “asymmetrical warfare” with the Pentagon and our fearful chickenhawks in Congress and the White House.
Mike Ferner writes at his site the “Peace Felon Report.”
He’s under a two month electronic “house arrest” in Ohio after being sentenced for spray painting “Troops Out Now” on a highway overpass.
In addition to that he got 18 months probation and over $5,000 in fines. This for a guy who lost the Toledo mayoral election by a little over 900 votes of the 96,000 cast. He is leading a life worth living as so many walk among us paying no heed to the bodies lying around.
He wrote below a last entry before his internet connection was cut off from his home:
July 20 2006
Friends:
Below is an article that describes my day in court yesterday, plus an unusual editorial that appeared in today’s paper, by Toledo Blade editor and vice pres., Tom Walton.
If this story touches your heart, write me if you must, but better yet, do something for peace today that you never thought you could do. You will have my undying thanks and the thanks of those people who desperately need your commitment.
Be well. Raise some hell.
Mike Ferner
AND how did I find Mike Ferner?
I traced him from a recent essay on Information Clearinghouse at: Let Humanity's Mutiny Begin where he found some way of reporting on a recent Seattle, Washington, Veterans for Peace national convention speech that has all the anti-war groups talking.
How did Mike Ferner do that?
He’s not telling.
He’s got style.
AND WHO IS JOINING THE MUTINY?
Thousands are considering joining the mutiny, similar to the old Underground Railroad during the Civil War where anti-slavery forces supported and moved slaves and their families around to thwart the ruthless bounty hunters.
Free State Kansas was built on the foundation of the abolitionists’ Underground Railroad.
It might be time to reclaim that proud legacy again.
Kansans should consider “supporting” the modern day slaves; what Lt. Watada calls “the indentured servants” in rebellion with the Pentagon’s never ending war machine.
This very controversial idea was delivered by Lt. Ehren Watada with over 50 Iraq War veterans standing in solidarity on the stage with him before an audience of several thousand supporters, some former high ranking officers from the Viet Nam era.
Here the important t r u t h o u t reporting from their multimedia page excerpts of the same controversial speech by Lt. Watada in part one and part two (wmv. High-speed Versions). Watch it and consider helping out.
Lieutenant Ehren Watada:
“We have all seen this war tear apart our country over the past three years. It seems as though nothing we've done, from vigils to protests to letters to Congress, have had any effect in persuading the powers that be...It is time for change and the change starts with all of us…The idea is this: that to stop an illegal and unjust war, the soldiers can choose to stop fighting it.”
Lt. Watada is the foremost active service officer to refuse to deploy and his organizational skills are evident in his mutinous remarks. He has caused such a mess for the military that they have taken the unprecedented move with charging him for “making contemptuous remarks” about our smirking President.
The anti-war movement is listening, check out his fantastic multimedia web site at: Thank You Lt. Ehren Watada.
He’s facing 5 to 7 years in the stockade for what many in the anti – war movement consider exercising his First Amendment rights.
He appears to be rallying nationwide support to provide immediate physical and financial assistance to those who are refusing to deploy.
Definitely what I call “mutinous conduct” with style.
He has been accompanied and supported in the making of this new “Underground Railroad” by a 29 year military veteran and former ambassador, Ret. Col. Ann Wright. Here is a short excerpt of her background:
“Col. Ann Wright served in the U.S. Army for 13 years and in the U.S. Army Reserves for 16 years. She also served for 16 years in the U.S. diplomatic corps, and in that capacity helped reopen the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in December 2001. She received the State Department’s Award for Heroism as the acting U.S. ambassador during the rebel takeover of Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1997.”
She resigned her government positions immediately prior to the invasion of Iraq which she considers a “war crime.”
Her help with Cindy Sheehan and other anti-war resisters is legendary.
Her stated position on Lt. Ehren Watada and others was clearly described in: To Refuse To Serve which appeared recently on TomPaine.com.
Today and the rest of this week national activities are taking place mobilizing what seems to be a developing “Underground Railroad” of what Lt. Watada calls the “indentured servants” refusing to serve in an “illegal war.”
All Kansans should remember our proud historic legacy and consider helping all the “mutineers” out.
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