On MSNBC right now...Simone Holcomb accused of being AWOL

[grannylib]

Specialist Simone Holcomb was granted an emergency leave after being away from her 7 children for 8 months (6 of those months in Iraq) due to having difficulty finding child care for her family in her absence. She offered to be reassigned to a unit where her family is and was denied...
She is now considered to be AWOL....
If the military is going to go ahead with prosecuting her, it DAMN well better send Chimpy to a Court Martial for being a deserter!!

I have already e-mailed MSNBC and several other news programs regarding this story...please help spread the word of this grave hypocrisy and injustice...

[w13rd0]

1. But Bush was working on a congressional campaign...

...and that Missouri congressman needed to vote on abortion and handguns. You can't consider that to be AWOL, can you?

[CheshireCat]

2. She needs to be taking care of her children

if she can find no other suitable care. If she leaves them without proper care, she could be prosecuted and jailed for neglect - and homicide if something happened to one of the children. Looks like she had no choice.

Poor woman. She is in a no win situation. She does need our support.

I will be emailing MSNBC. Who else should we contact?

[burrowowl]

5. Contact

Representatives, Senators

[grannylib]

8. All the news channels and news shows, even rightwingnuts...

I e-mailed Tweety, O'Lielley, Hannutty/Colmes, Nightline...and will keep it up all damn day! Anyone you can think of - local news would be great too...
Newspapers, the White House, Department of Defense, whomever...let's not let this die!!

[Drifter]

23. Disgusting ...

that this person was EVER sent to Iraq to begin with. I'm sure there are plenty of stateside assignments that would allow this woman to take care of her children, while still serving her country.

Oh Yeah, those positions are reserved for the Children of the Priviledged.

Cheers
Drifter

[atreides1]

3. This Shows....

...just how desperate the military is getting, she can be released from active duty on a hardship discharge.

The fact that the Army is refusing to even consider this path, is evidence as to how things really are. The draft is coming back people bet on it, especially after Chimpy's little speech about democracy in the ME.

[bmbmd]

4. On the "Today" show this morning

her attorney pointed out that Ms. Holcomb will be in contempt of court if she steps on that troop transport plane.

[PaDUer]

6. Rummy's

on now!! Said numbber of UF forces will decline slightly..Seems they're changing their minds day/day.

[lovedems]

14. I am sure they are sending out confilicting messages on purpose

it is hard to argue something you are confused about. What a clever idea, increase the troops by 30,000 immediately but tell everyone there will be a decline. One of these days the administration and all of the secretary kiss asses will realize that at least 50% of the american public are on to them.

[TahitiNut]

7. MSNBC Link ...

http://msnbc.com/news/990005.asp

[markus]

9. Arresting Private Ryan for Desertion

As they wrap themselves in the flag and gorge on Mom's apple pie, let us take this moment to reflect on the possible title of a movie on how this war was fought.

Yeah, let's charge the single-mom with being AWOL if she refuses to desert her children.

I think this is really about the hatred of conservaties for women and single-mothers in particular.

[fishnfla]

13. ? she's not a single mom?

her husband is active duty too.

She'll get a hardship leave. hell I'll take her place.

[realFedUp]

10. Is she a Reservist?

I don't know if the rules are the same for a Reservist as the
permanent army....since this admin has essentially broken
Reservist rules keeping them for a much longer time than
their contract states, shouldn't there be flexibility here?

[lovedems]

11. Hummm. Take care of my SEVEN kids or go back to Iraq

and possibly get killed and never see my kids again. It should be a no brainer for the army but I guess war is more important than family under this administration.

[tom_paine]

12. Imperial Family members are above the law.

What are you, some kind of traitor?

[Military Brat]

16. Yes, mm-hmm, call me traitor

With a capital T.

bush was AWOL for so long, his status is "Deserter." With a capital D.

[grannylib]

15. FAUX news link -

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html

Keep those e-mails and phone calls coming...

[liberalhistorian]

17. Yes, yet another fine example of those

down-home, traditional, repuke "family values" and "supporting the troops." GAG!!!!!!!

[leetrisck]

18. Apparently the mother of 2 of the children

(the husband's children) filed for custody of them after both the mother and father were sent to Iraq -that's why both mother & father came home from Iraq to work it out - judge said one or the other had to stay with kids (I think) or the mother of the 2 would get custody. Father returned to Iraq and mother tried to get okay to stay with kids - Army said no - judge said stay or lose the kids. Read this story a few days ago but have forgotten where. Very convoluted.

[grannylib]

19. That is just sick.....

:kick:

[Drifter]

24. Can you blame them ?

What a horrible situation ... for everyone.

Cheers
Drifter

[ninkasi]

20. Guess it would be completely out of the question

for some of the supposedly "traditionl family values" groups to speak up in her behalf, wouldn't it? It might take some of their valuable time from preserving their version of values by making sure women don't have control over their own reproductive choices, and making sure that loving gay couples can't marry, and condemning anybody who doesn't fit into their narrow, tiny brained little ideas about what those values should be.

It would be absolutely sickening to punish her for caring for her children. "Compassionate conservatism" my ass! Of course, it's a-ok with them that the chimp was awol...doesn't count.

[Nlighten1]

21. This is "post 9/11" family values

Every thing has changed since 9/11 remember?

[jbfam4]

22. bush will come to her rescue

He will show how compassionate he is and will fix it. Then he will be a hero...........makes me sick, but I can see her now at the white house with her kids and bush showing how important the family is.

This can be a real win for him. YUCK!

[grannylib]

25. I would hope she would have the guts to refuse any such invitation...

I sure would..no way would I let that smirking monkeyman use me for political gain

[0007]

31. junior would be opening a can of worms if he did!

I don't think that will happen.

[booksenkatz]

26. Explain something

I don't understand why they send both parents at the same time... can't they take turns marching off to war? It seems terribly stressful for those children to worry about both parents being in combat at the same time. I know nothing about military family issues, so maybe someone can explain this to me.

[leetrisck]

27. When both parents are in Service, this

can happen and actually happens rather frequently when something like this is going on (Iraq). People are supposed to be prepared for this eventuality and have arrangements made. Apparently these parents did have everything arranged and the unexpected "event" was the mother of 2 of the children deciding she should take custody since both custodial parents were gone. Hope I've got that story straight. The entire thing was spelled out in great detail a few days ago in one of the newspapers. Sorry, I can't remember which one.

[booksenkatz]

30. That just doesn't seem fair to the kids

Simone's situation aside, in fact ALL adult feelings aside, it just isn't fair that any child should have to lie awake at night scared and crying about the welfare of TWO parents; it's bad enough to worry about ONE. But at least with one in the battle zone, there is the idea that at least your other parent would still be alive to take care of you. That's all a child cares about, it's very natural, "Who's going to take care of me?" How awful that a child should worry about being totally orphaned at any moment, 24 hours a day. That's just not fair, period.

And don't get me started about what Iraqi mothers, fathers and children are going through...!

The world we've created is a hell of a rotten place for innocents, isn't it?

[Ganja Ninja]

28. Why not send Jeb’s boy George P. Bush in her place?

He’s the right age and seems to be in good health. I don’t understand why he hasn’t volunteered yet. He’s a brave and patriotic republican so now’s his chance to show the country what the Bush clan is made of.

[grannylib]

32. Good call! Should we write Jebby and ask???

[metisnation]

29. this is bullshit

if we arrest her we ought to arrest georgie for skipping out of Vietnam to blow coke and swill wiskey while AMERICANS we sent to die in the muck of VIETNAM

www.awolbush.com

this makes me want to puke

:puke:
:mad:

[grannylib]

33. Yup me too...what can we do to keep this story live and burnin'??

[ElsewheresDaughter]

34. both her and her husband (father & mother) were deployed in Iraq

this is the outrage and uncle sam should be ashamed!!!!

[Cocoa]

35. dems should draft her for president

is she old enough?

[bobbieinok]

36. kick

:kick:

[newyorican]

37. The dem candidate that intervenes personally...

will get an unbelievable boost.