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GI Rights Hotline

31 January 1945 - Pvt. Eddie Slovik becomes the first soldier executed by the United States Government for desertion since the Civil War. Of more than 21,000 desertion convictions during World War II, 49 were death sentences and only 1, Pvt. Slovik's, was carried out.

He was drafted shortly after his first wedding anniversary. Upon arriving in France he realized that he could not fight, and requested reassignment. He informed his command that he would not fight and was arrested and court martialed.

62 years later and our government continues to prosecute service members who acknowledge that they cannot go to war. On Monday, February 5th, 1st Lt. Ehren Watada will be court martialed for refusing to participate in an illegal war. To learn more please visit: ThankYouLt.org.

Also, I volunteer with an organization that works to help service members get out of the military as well as our young people who are targeted by Military Recruiters.

If you are in the military, or know someone who is in the military, please, give them this number:

The GI Rights Hotline
1-800-394-9544

Lewis and Clark Military Counseling Project

The Lewis & Clark Military Counseling Project is an Oregon based counseling service operated as a student-collective and a subset of the student chapter of the National Lawyers' Guild. The project aims to (1) counter the military's effort to swindle, coerce, and deceive the youth of America into entering military service; and (2) provide direct counseling and information to GI's attempting to withdraw from military service.

Some things to remember:

It's wise to:

get civilian counseling before signing anything you're not sure about.

keep a log when seeking discharge or documenting harassment.

make at least two copies of documents--keep one and send one to one trusted person off-base, such as a counselor, attorney, friend, or family member.

Rumors about automatic discharges after six months or whenever are not true.

In the 1947 Nuremberg Trials, the US government held that there was a duty to resist carrying out crimes against humanity, defined as "murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, before or during the war; or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds."

Congressmembers can conduct inquiries and initiate investigations of the military; an aide in each member's local office is supposed to help constituents with problems with the military. See www.congress.org. Talk to a counselor first to find out how to pursue this option.

GIs have the legal right to:

Consult with a congressional office, civilian counselor or service, or a lawyer about a problem.

Appeal any court-martial conviction, discharge denial, or non-judicial punishment.

Say what you think and feel about the military, and participate in peaceful demonstrations, when you're off-duty, out of uniform, off-base, and in the U.S.A. (DoD Directive (1325.6).

Be protected against racial, sexual, and sexual orientation harassment and discrimination (Articles 93, 134, UCMJ).

Be protected from assault by other military personnel (Articles 93, 117, 120, 124, 128, 134, UCMJ).

Request redress from your Commanding Officer for any grievance (Article 138, UCMJ).

Write a formal complaint against your Commanding Officer if you are not granted redress (Article 138, UCMJ).

GIs do not have the legal right to:

Demonstrate on-base or breach law-and-order anywhere. You cannot take part in anything "when violence is likely to result."

Encourage violence or urge others to violate regulations, disobey lawful orders, desert, or refuse to do their jobs.

Call high government officials names, including "fascist," "thief," "murderer," "tyrant," "fool," or "gangster."

Join a labor union (DoD Directive 1325.6).

Sue the military for damages (Feres Doctrine).

Seeking A Discharge:

You may seek a discharge from the military at any time. Regulations which superior officers are required to follow cover every kind of discharge.

You may be able to get out of the military if:

• You are opposed to war in general.
• Military life or your assignment creates an unusual hardship for your dependents.
• You have a persistent medical or psychological problem which makes military service difficult.
• You are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
• You qualify for another discharge available under military regulations.

Educate yourself first. Talk to the GI Rights Hotline; talk to a civilian lawyer with experience in military law.

Privacy

"Opie, the law can't use this kind of help."

New Herbivore Hoodie

New herbivore hoodie
Originally uploaded by jake_mrtnz.

liberate * protect * avenge

"The greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed but the vast majority who sat idly by."

April 4, 1968
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee where he was supporting striking sanitation workers. If you watch the movie that I linked to a few posts back, you'll hear a speech talking about how we as a country have sugar coated Dr. King, transforming him into a Hallmark card. Whereas he should be remembered as the non-violent peace activist who recognized the importance of the intersections of different movements. He did not separate workers' rights from human rights from civil rights. It was one struggle, one fight.

So often what he hear of his final speech the night before his death is only the prophetic,

And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.

What we don't hear is Dr. King's demand for action. Dr. King told his audience that if one set of workers suffer, we all suffer.

Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together...That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

He went on to tell his audience not to buy certain products out of solidarity with the sanitation workers. When we omit this call to action from the history, we do ourselves and Dr. King a great disservice. History has taught us that he was nothing more than a wonderful speaker and a martyr. We cannot lose sight of his action. He was an agitator, a leader, a force to be reckoned with.

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School starts again today, and I'm pretty busy otherwise, so I am reposting this from April 4, 2006. I should be back on track soon.

Radio

There's a new oldies station in Dallas that plays sappy music. Its like Delilah w/o the talking and it's ALL the time. It's awesome.

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Today

Good idea: getting my passport. Maybe not so good idea: going to get my passport w/ my "All my heroes have FBI files" t-shirt on.

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Note: I sent this from my phone, and this was originally posted twice.