American Views Abroad

 
These days when reading a newspaper, coming across a commentary that steps back and takes a look at the larger picture is tonic to the soul. Joanne Bourke whose book Fear: A Cultural History will soon be published discusses how 'the politics of fear has become central to statecraft. Since 9/11 it has become routine for governments to use public hysteria over terrorism to increase support for direct military action and use fear to fuel campaigns to justify torture and assassinations' in the IHT. This has not always been the case in history. She reminds us 'not only do we have a choice as to how we respond to fear-inspiring threats; our future may well depend on it.' For example, 'during the Cold War millions took to the streets to protest nuclear weapons.' Not only that, but throughout history individuals have taken extra-ordinary steps to resist doing things they considered wrong, to look over and beyond the present rhetoric. www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/07/news/edbourke.html.

Three articles about three such individuals can be read in a Truthout Special. A US Army sergeant with 10 years service to his credit, deeply troubled by being ordered to open fire on children who were throwing rocks at his unit, among other things, applied for conscientious objector status when facing a second tour in Iraq. The Army has charged him with desertion, his commanding officer has called him a coward, and his chaplain has told him he is ashamed of him. The first article reveals how he came to his decision 'being torn between thoughts of abandoning the soldiers I serve with, or following my conscience, which tells me: war is the ultimate in destruction and a waste of humanity.'

His wife speaks out in the second one. 'What's gone wrong when a man and his wife receive phone calls and emails from all over the country asking them to explain themselves, calling them cowards, wondering if they have ever read the Bible or studied scripture, all because that man has chosen to speak out against war and violence, and his wife has chosen to stand behind him?'

A 22 year old Army veteran who was given an honorable discharge after being granted conscientious objector status has started up a web site http://www.peace-out.com that provides comprehensive information on how to go about applying for CO status and how to avoid all the pitfalls in the system in the third article. He writes:

'Assuming that you volunteered to join the military, you must have come to the conclusion that war is wrong AFTER your enlistment. You may have been asked if you were a CO when you joined, and you probably answered 'no'. To be considered a CO following enlistment, you must prove that your beliefs against the war crystallized after enlisting. This is far from uncommon as many soldiers simply do not realize how they feel about war until they are actually deployed or start to understand the implications of a deployment.'

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/020805A.shtml


- posted by Gloria @ 6:28 PM