Navy petty officer refuses war duty - won't board ship transporting troops

[bobweaver]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20041206-9999-1m6protest.html

[NCN007]

1. he volunteered

pledged loyalty, said the oath of office, and he now has the responsibility to follow his orders. While I grudgingly admire the fact that he has the moral courage to stand up for his beliefs, he should never have joined the service if he was not fully committed to the oath and/or chain of command. Its dishonorable, and its not fair to the people those that will now have to fill in his shoes.

[Winamericaback]

2. I admire him as well

but I can understand his predicamant.

Kids are bribed into joing the armed forces with promises of free education and other lovely benefits. These kids are 18, at 18 there is no way you know what you want do with the rest of your life. You also have NO idea that your gov't would turn traitor on you and send you to die for no reason.

[flordehinojos]

5. he pledged loyalty to defend this nation against an enemy that was intent

on doing harm to it. HIS PLEDGE DID NOT INCLUDE FOLLOWING A CRAZED MADMAN INTENT ON EXACTING REVENGE ON HIS FATHER'S WANT TO BE KILLER AND ON A COUNTRY WHICH NEVER ATTACKED US NOR POSED ANY THREAT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE MAN IS ACTUALLY KEEPING HIS LOYALTY TO THE UNITED STATES, NOT BUSH, BY REFUSING TO BE PART OF AN ILLEGAL WAR STARTED BY AN UNELECTED FRAUD, WHO HAS UNLEASHED AN INVASION AND OCCUPATION UPON THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS FOR THE CREATION OF COUNTLESS TERRORISTS TO GIVE CREDENCE TO HIS PARANOID OBSESSION OF WAR.

THE MARINE IS A PATRIOT AND I APPALUD AND ADMIRE HIM FOR IT!

[Forkboy]

3. More power to him

[bobweaver]

4. He was on the TV news today in San Diego, and...

they interviewed him walking in the vicinity of the Navy pier, and several bystanders were heard in the background yelling, "Coward!" They also interviewed several people about it and there were mixed opinions. They interviewed a higher-up, not sure who he was, who said that Pablo had made a big mistake and hinted that he would be court-martialed or something. (They will try to make an example out of him, so as to discourage anyone else from doing the same as him.)

[Barkley]

6. The resistance to this war for oil is growing

8 GIs are suing the US government for the stop-loss slavery imposed upon them by their own Government.

"I'm going to throw my ID in the water and say that I'm no longer part of the military," said Petty Officer Third Class Pablo Paredes, 23. "I want to make a statement, and I want it to be heard."

He said he was young and naive when he joined the Navy and "never imagined, in a million years, we would go to war with somebody who had done nothing to us."

AMEN!

He's right!

He's no coward for standing up for what he believes.

And by speaking out, he'll disuade other young people from contemplating joining the military.

Spendid!

[Moderator]

7. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1049478