Soldiers at my front door

[RBHam]

A National Guard unit that's headed for Iraq taunted a pacifist priest in a small town in New Mexico In early morning , soldiers

I live in a tiny, remote, impoverished, three block long town in the desert of northeastern New Mexico. Everyone in town — and the whole state — knows that I am against the occupation of Iraq, that I have called for the closing of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and that as a priest, I have been preaching, like the Pope, against the bombing of Baghdad.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1072134611109&call_pageid=991479973472&col=991929131147

[Oilwellian]

1. I saw this story a few weeks ago

I wrote Father Dear an email of support and he answered back. What a wonderful soul he has.

[pocoloco]

2. So sad, and sadder yet that it comes from the Canadian press!

[yellowcanine]

3. The commander of that unit should resign or be court martialed

National guard units are not supposed to harass civilians. This kind of bullshit does not have to be tolerated.

[pocoloco]

5. How would you like to have to follow

orders from that asshole?? You can bet his unit won't make it back intact!

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

4. Is anyone here old enough to remember WW II?

I would like to know how pacifists and the isolationists were treated during that war. My guess is it must have been very different because the reasons to fight WW II were plain, while for this Iraq war, the supporters are desperately manufacturing new reasons practically every day.

I imagine they might have been poorly treated by individuals, but was there the type of organized abuse that we are seeing now?

[yellowcanine]

7. Actually, pacifists were treated with respect in WWII

Conscientious objectors (COs) were allowed to perform alternative service in a program called Civilian Public Service (CPS). They built roads, etc. Some served in civilian hospitals and mental hospitals. In WWI, on the other hand, no provision was made for COs. Thjey were sent to regular army camps and forced to wear uniforms and do work around the camp. Some received long prison sentences - though most had their sentences commuted after the war ended. A few were physically tortured by sadistic army officers and some died in the camps either from the torture or from lack of medical care for illnesses.

[7th_Sephiroth]

6. did this go down in

Clovis?

[BlueCollar]

8. Thanks

What a very timely story at this time of the year...