Army lieutenant refuses to go to Iraq

**pacific breeze** · January 3rd, 2007, 11:19 PM

And what is YOUR opinion?

**JamieElizabeth** · January 3rd, 2007, 11:40 PM

^ PB, I didn't know that I must have a formed opinion on this?

You must be referring to the poster known as "weblurker"?

Well, I don't know where he is right now.

**moomies** · January 4th, 2007, 12:13 AM

Wasn't there one in Seattle that also refused to go to Iraq? I remember it cuz he was also of Japanese decent...and we had a thread or two about him with a lively discussion.

Lt. Watada was based at Fort Lewis, Washington

Oh it's the same one I was thinking about. Didn't know he was originally from Hawaii.

**crumpet** · January 4th, 2007, 09:08 AM

Well, let's call him a whaaaambulance. When you sign up for the (voluntary) armed forces you have committed yourself to doing whatever/whenever they send you. You don't get to cherry pick. Interesting this fucktard happily stayed in the service receiving his check and benefits and got 'conscientuous' when his number came up. Any military personnel who refuses to go when ordered should be court martialed and jailed. And everybody else in the military who is fulfilling the committments they made should line up to kick their ass.

**celeb_2006** · January 7th, 2007, 05:34 PM

Yea I think he's a flipping coward myself. While I may agree with his sentiments, that doesn't mean I agree or like the man.

You see, guys like Kevin Tillman, whose brother was killed in a friendly fire incident, have walked the walk. They volunteered themselves, seen combat, and as far as I'm concerned they've earned the right to have their beliefs. I'm not saying that military service is a must for anyone to have an opinion on any world events, but I have more respect for someone that finished what they volunteered.

**darksithbunny** · January 7th, 2007, 06:09 PM

Perfectly said, Crumpet. They know what they are signing up for. I don't feel sorry for any of them. WTF did they think they were gonna do? Tea and biscuits?

**Lobelia** · January 7th, 2007, 06:24 PM

A soldier can refuse an order if it is illegal. I'm not expert, so I don't know if this war is technically illegal.

However, like crumpet said, he apparently didn't refuse his paycheck all this time. I'd have a little more sympathy for his situation if he had done *something* (not sure what) before he got told to go. And maybe he did, & we just don't know.

Still, when you refuse to go to war, you make yourself look like a whiney coward. I didn't read the article too closely, but it seems like he doesn't approve of the war or any of the policies surrounding the war (like the rest of us) yet that doesn't justify refusal to go. I suppose the question in my mind is - is the war illegal?

**ohmygoodness** · January 7th, 2007, 07:38 PM

The war isn't illegal, on a technicality, so that defense wouldn't work.

**A*O** · January 7th, 2007, 08:49 PM

Erm - didn't we go over all this ad nauseam in JUNE 2006 when this thread was started? Unless there's something new to add I don't see the need to necro it.

**Lobelia** · January 7th, 2007, 09:21 PM

JamieElizabeth posted an article where they interviewed the guy.

**moomies** · January 7th, 2007, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by A*O

Erm - didn't we go over all this ad nauseam in JUNE 2006 when this thread was started? Unless there's something new to add I don't see the need to necro it.

Yepp, that's why I merged the two threads into one cuz it's basically the same topic and we had already had a pretty established debate over it.

**Grimmlok** · January 15th, 2007, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by ohmygoodness

The war isn't illegal, on a technicality, so that defense wouldn't work.

The war IS illegal, the UN condemned it as such under international law.. of course, if (like the US) you simply pretend that international law doesn't exist until YOU need it, then sure...

but then you'd be a prick.

**Grimmlok** · January 15th, 2007, 10:08 AM

That person should refuse also. Frankly, anybody in uniform ought to refuse to be thrown into a meatgrinder that didn't need to be started.

I fail to see how he's being a coward, going to Iraq or being thrown in jail is pretty effing awful, either way.

**princesspink** · January 15th, 2007, 04:08 PM

Im reading this a little late....more men like him would help reinstate my faith in the world

**princesspink** · January 15th, 2007, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by lalaland

well, he has to go. and if he doesn't go then someone else has to go in his place - what a coward. right or wrong.

More than wrong. It takes more courage to say what he has said than to go to Iraq and fight alongside a flock that isn't protesting. It takes much more than a coward to do what he has done.