Here is a Brave Man Local News Article

[mella l]

Sorry loosing it!

That is The Boss on 60 Minutes this coming Sunday, none other than Bruce Springsteen, who is currently taking heat for his views, interestingly enough.

mella l

[mella l]

WARNING

Must need breakfast as this is my RANT!

Here is a website which supports Lt. Watada, if you are interested, or would like to know about the progress of the court case.

http://www.thankyoult.org/

Funny I received a call from a political national committee this am looking for money, as I once belonged to a PAC. I basically told them that I'm looking for a third party to support. Haven't found one I like yet, but am searching. I'd sooner send this young man a donation than send more dollars down the rabbit hole I've been contributing to in the past.

mella l

[aprild]

I just saw a Frontline program about the "Surge." It was so difficult to watch as all the footage was shot in Iraq. It spoke about the danger and challenges of being there for our troops and for the Iraqi civilians, showed the bombs going off, the bloody & dead bodies, the wounded. Very disturbing.

We are not being shown what it's really like there. In my mind, I compared this show to "The War" by Ken Burns which has been on PBS this week which is also showing the horrifying underbelly of war. I feel very strongly that most Americans are in denial about this war--they don't, maybe can't, imagine what it actually IS. The reality is horror, pure and simple. Pain, suffering, death. The closest to hell, perhaps, there is on this earth.

After watching that program, I saw a show on Apollo VIII, with footage from that time. One of the astronauts who orbited the moon in 1968, spoke about how the most incredible moment of the whole experience was when they saw the earth rise above the moon--the beauty of the blue and white planet, shining and beautiful, suspended in infinite dark space, filled with life in a lifeless expanse of space, impressed upon them the oneness of humanity and all life on earth. He wondered how we could ever war with one another. I wonder, too.

There definitely seems to be a lack of priority, reality and value when we kill other human beings, animals and the environment. When will they ever learn?

april

[PunaLover]

mella I wanna change your name to mello
reading everyone's imput on this shows more than not agree with you, as do I.

I personally didn't have to go to Vietnam, (the only lottery I ever played...and won!) but even at 17 when I graduated I knew enough that lies for that war were spun on ABC with the body count.

When Powell was makin his speach at the UN with those fuzzy pictures for support of his argument. All I was thinkin was WTF!? are you jokin!? Hollywood takes better pictures and this was supposed to be US satelite technology? Yea well if you couldn't tell that was BS you'd be supporting the bush and all his cronies. Gold was over $800. last week for a few days? anyone notice? Even as "mello" as Puna's reputation has been for years you see why the goverment devides to concer. 2 parties, 2 sides to every issue, ha ha good and "the axis of evil" get real, who makes up this crap?
Anyway I think the Lt. is not the issue, the illegal war is. Yea, yea I hear you USMC hawks, don't bother. When they start recruting from college graduates like Harvard and Yale instead of impressionable, inexperienced, broke, get me out here, pie in the sky, see the world with us, ideaistic, KIDS!
plus 25k?!!!!
Then you can tell me what.
I'll tell you why, you won't get enough adults to choose to go fight this war. Let's see all those who voted for bush and his war go sign up. Nuthin but sheeple.
WAR! huh what is it go for?
absolutly nuthin

except a lot of profit for Halburton$$$$$$$$

KEEP PUNA RURAL

[Beachboy]

quote:

---

Glen, I agree with you. The media does do a lot to keep our attention off of what the government is doing. And there are a lot of things we really shouldn't ignore. I also agree that we have not been liberators. This war is about money. Money, Money, MONEY.

My point is that it is our responsibility to dig through all the sh*t and find truth. We need to own our responsibility in all of this.

---

this is the most secretive Gov. we have put in office during my lifetime. I'm sorry, but those of you who voted for GW Bush have made the greatest mistake in my lifetime!. Just look what the "Dirt Farmer" from Crawford has done to our country?! We are now the "butt" of world jokes!!!

But as far as Lt. Watada goes. He made his bed and has got to sleep in it too. He went for a career in the military,..and woops a conflict broke out. He was fine with it all until he was told to strap on his "iron jockstrap", you're going to battle! Then all of the sudden Lt. Watada gets cold feet? Nah, I can't bust out my violin for Lt. Watada

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...

[PunaLover]

But on the other side I agree with you there as well. If you're, "dumb, guilty, or duty obliged) to join then hey? You made the s**t sandwich, eat it.
I feel very sorry for all the "kids' sent off to die for other people can get rich. You would THINK humans would have figured out after thousands of years and wars that, they don't work. It's not human.

the Lt. really is up the creek, his timing was real bad, but hey he was born with freedom of choice as well.........

It's all BUSH'S fault! ;p

KEEP PUNA RURAL

[Green]

Didn't Watada do a tour or two of duty in Afganistan ? Then he realized that the war in iraq was bulls... and illegal he got a clue! I say better late than never, good on ya Watada !

[malolo]

Have the kids in your life or the kids in your friends' lives taken the time to get informed about this yet?

Students have opt-out choice with recruiters
Download the actual Opt-out form here.


http://afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-s...behind.htm


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edited by - malolo on 11/18/2007 21:05:41

[David D]

Watada's only overseas duty was to South Korea. He was never in a combat situation.

[Menehune]

"stringbucket:

The real issue here is whether an individual who voluntarily joined the military can later disavow that decision on the basis of fraud in the inducement.
Clearly, no cogent argument can be made that would allow a soldier to abandon a duty he voluntarily undertook because he felt that the war he was to fight in was immoral.
If that was to be allowed, there would be anarchy amongst the troops, each soldier deciding whether he felt the cause morally justifiable enough to be undertaken. Chaos would remain supreme within the ranks and any army embracing such thoughts would be so disjointed as to be ill prepared to win any battle.
The unit must act cohesively to perform effectively.
Yet, there remain's the question? Should the individual (soldier) induced by a material misrepresentation of fact that induced him to volunteer for service be allowed to disavow that service.
Again, (as ill guided, unthought, stupid, immoral, inadequately planned, mismanaged, a product of overzealous, greedy stubborn egotistical maniac's that lied as to the real causes, distorted all intelligence to justify an unjustifiable WAR), the answer is no. A soldier can not disavow his duty, a duty he voluntary made because he feels that the reasons he joined the war effort were a product of lies(even if they were and are).
An effective miltary could not operate, if that was the case. The only option is to get enough political support to throw the assholes out of office in the next election, too late for King George W.
The lieutenant has to go to jail."

Well said!

I do not fully agree with the jail part. as "Jared I" mentioned he could lose a lot just through the judicial process:
"Some of these are voting rights, right to own a firearm, right to a passport, restrictions on hold certain jobs state and federal, in-ability practice certain professions (law, accounting, etc.) I think the UCMJ was recently updated with new rules. I would think this would hobble his horse."

One post mentioned Col. David H. Hackworth - his book:
http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Odyssey...0671695347 : put any war - any conflict, that puts American Soldiers in harms way in perspective for me.

Wikipedia describes how he handled becoming "totally fed up with the system"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hackworth
"One aspect of the latter required him to defend the U.S. position on the war. Even with his reservations concerning the conflict, he refused to resign, feeling it was his duty as a field grade officer to wage the campaign as best he could."

My bottom line - I hate WAR - ANY WAR. Reasons to hate this one are varied and many:
"Rob Tucker:
If daughters were coming home in body bags the whole social formula on war would change. Seems that wasn't true. Daughters are coming home in body bags from Iraq."

I feel the same way about our doctors, mechanics, lawyers, taxi drivers - who joined the "Guard", the "Reserves" and are now our front line troops. Their sacrifice and that of all our soldiers HAS changed our current society.

We the People...................................................................!
I agree with "lotus" :
"I think if anyone is to blame for all of this it is the American Public for allowing this war to continue considering all of the information we now have."

VOTE!

Peace to you - ALL!