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Accept U.S. war deserters, 'Peace Mom' pleads
Last Updated Thu, 04 May 2006 14:40:51 EDT
CBC News

American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan wants the Canadian government to grant sanctuary to U.S. military deserters.

* FROM AUG. 12, 2005: Soldier's mother keeps vigil outside Bush ranch

"I'm just here begging the people of Canada to force your government, because your government works for you … because your government does not work for war profiteers, to allow our soldiers to have sanctuary up here," she said.

The so-called "Peace Mom" made headlines last year when she staged a month-long demonstration outside U.S. President George W. Bush's Texas ranch to protest the American occupation of Iraq.

Sheehan asked the federal government at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday to create a provision allowing military deserters to flee to Canada so they don't need to apply for refugee status on an individual basis.

Sheehan's 24-year-old son was killed five days after he began serving in Iraq in 2004.

Before her son left, he told Sheehan he disagreed with the war and with the president's decision to send troops.

"I told him, 'I'll do anything. I'll take you to Canada. Let's go to Canada, or if you don't want to go to Canada, then I'll run you over with my car and break your legs,'" she said.

Sheehan said the U.S. government lied to her son and other soldiers by telling them they wouldn't be forced to participate in war if they signed up.

Two American military deserters who arrived in Canada in 2004 — Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey — have been denied refugee status in Canada. They argued that the occupation of Iraq violates international human rights and is illegal.

Hinzman has appealed and the Federal Court is reviewing the decision.

Many others are anxiously watching the case. There are 20 active refugee claims by American military deserters.

About 150 deserters are known to be living in Canada, according to the War Resisters Support Campaign, though the organization believes the number could be as high as 1,500.

It's estimated 40,000 to 60,000 U.S. draft dodgers fled to Canada during the Vietnam War.

Sheehan is in Ottawa as part of a cross-Canada tour.

This woman is a grade A nutcase. If you disagree with war than don't sign up or file for concienctious objector status but deserting fucks you and fucks your buddies and will only end in heartache.

I believe I speak for the armed forces and my brothers in arms when I say Sheeham can go to hell. She is a lying bitch, who has left her son without even a tombstone.

When I enlisted, I was told if there was a war we would fight it, that was our whole purpose, that was why the US government bore the hundred billion dollar expense of the armed forces. So that the armed forces would fight when the US decided to go to war. Otherwise why bear the huge expense of over a million young men and women in arms scattered across the globe? To enrich Korean and German shopkeepers?

There are times when desertion and mutiny are not only acceptable but required if one is to continue and call oneself an honorable human being with a straight face. This is not such a time. Regardless of whether the reasons for invasion were correct, there is no doubt that Saddam had no moral right to continue governing Iraq. Those who declare such doubt are either lying, misinformed or the most bankrupt scum of the earth.

To desert even in the best of times is to betrayl your oaths, your nation and most importent of all your fellow men and women in uniform, who are your brothers and sisters, it is not to be done lighty. It is not to be done out of fear, it is not to be done out of politics. It can only be done when you asked to do something so vile, so disgusting that the betrayl, as sick as it is, is the only morally correct option. The concentration camp guards of Poland for example should have deserted. The Soviet guards in Siberia should have deserted. Marines attempting to keep Iraqs from blowing each other up, should not and do not desert.

This military is made up of volunteers. Men and women of all races, religions, backgrounds and ages working togather in a commone purpose. It is my belief that it is one of the greatest works of the United States and the world that such an organization can be created, using only willing activist who volunteerary leave home, family and all they know to walk into danger. To betray that is to betray all that is right and good.

Sheeham as betrayed her son. She has betrayed those he fought with. Not by asking for Bush to explain things to her, she had every right for that. But by her following actions if she had been my mother would have me spinning in my grave.

The fact that she can't buy a fucking tombstone makes her a lying fucking cunt of nigh epic proportions in my book. She is worthy of such utter disdain as to found new levels thereof. If she managed to get Canada to go through with this absurdity and I ever did desert I would go any-fucking-where else in the world just so I wouldn't be part of anything she had a hand in...

At the time of her sons death, SGLI(Service Group Life Insurance) was up to an all time high of a payout of $450,000USD. Nearly half a fucking million dollars. If Uncle Sam took back 30% of that she'd STILL have about $315,000. And she can't buy her fucking son who she has tried to make a fucking martyr a fucking tombstone!

And here's another fucking thing. There is a fucking fund for the funerals and services of military members killed in action. Seperate from what she'd get back from the SGLI. A phone call and a form or two and she would have had a fucking 21 gun salute, full honor burial detail, taps at dawn and the flag that flew over the fucking halls of congress the day her son died if she was so fucking inclined.

Honestly, I'm at a impasse with this. I'm neither drunk enough or sober enough to adaquietly state my full opinion of this mockery of her son. So I won't try. I'll simply state this. Her son knew what he was getting into. Anyone who didn't know when they signed on that dotted line is an idiot, regardless of what line the recruiter feeds them. But he at least had the balls and decency to serve and die for us. And the fact that she wants to do this to his memory and use him like this...it's a shame, a sham and disgusting. Absofuckinglutely disgusting.

I have issues with our war, I have issues with the man in charge, I have issues with a fuckload of a lot of things going on in our government right now but damnit I will, until my date of seperation or my dying breath fight and defend this god damned country that we call home. Deserters? Fuck the cowards and fuck her for helping them.

This is the first I heard about not giving her son a tombstone, that is disgusting beyond comprehension.

Cpl Kendall wrote:This is the first I heard about not giving her son a tombstone, that is disgusting beyond comprehension.

I'm afraid the red flags go up at that claim. Quite simply, this woman has been turned into a tool for extremists, who likely will claim anything about her.

Sorry Martin but Sheeham herself admits there is no tombstone on her boy's grave.

Here

So pull the red flag down.

frigidmagi wrote:Sorry Martin but Sheeham herself admits there is no tombstone on her boy's grave.

Here

So pull the red flag down.

Alright. But you know how suspicious I get on some things; after all, this woman has been smeared from sea to shining sea, so I do take any claims about her with a few truckloads of salt.

Thanks for the link Frigid. If it's possible, I am now more sickened by reading that then I was before.

My base's honor guard reguarly(read: a few times a week) drives for distances of several states to attend and provide service at a funeral. Such services include the twenty-one gun salute, the flag procession and folding, the carrying of the casket, the whole nine yards.

And yet only a token representative showed? We've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for displays of respect to those who have fallen in service of our country. Fighter jet fly overs, funeral processions at dawn, decorations, plaques, tombstones... We do this constantly for our fallen heroes.

No, the president doesn't attend funerals. I agree that he probably should instead of spending so much time at his ranch on vacation, but that involves preferential treatment of some soldiers over others and a timeline of attendance that would be rather difficult for him to keep.

"People attack me because I have a new car and claim I've blown through his insurance money and I'm attacked for this because I haven't placed a tombstone on my boy's grave."

Yes, I have issues with this because A) the military would help pay for the tombstone in part or in whole and B) I don't need to see your fucking bank records to calculate the costs for a brand new car and all the flights you're taking across countries to protest. The price for gas for the car, rental cars, hotels, food, protest materials, etc. So yes, I can readily see you blowing through a large chunk of change.

And the part that sickens me the worst, is the way that this bitch uses and martyrs her son on a fucking daily basis to multiple countries, to the international community. She has not only forsaken and disgraced the memory of her own son but she seeks to do the same to the military as a whole and to our government.