JUNE 27 "National Day of Action" To Stand With Lt.Watada!from http://www.couragetoresist.org On June 7th, 2006, U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada became the first commissioned officer to publicly announce his opposition to the Iraq war and his intent to refuse to deploy with his unit to Iraq. |
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| “My son, 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, is not
the same person who entered the military service three years ago. His
decision to refrain from deploying to Iraq comes through much soul
searching. It is an act of patriotism. It is a statement to all
Americans, to men and women in uniform, that they need not remain silent
out of fear, that that they have the power to turn the tide of history:
to stop the destruction of a country and the killing of untold numbers
of innocent men, women, and children. It is a message that states
unequivocally that blindly following orders is no longer an option. My
son, Lt. Watada’s stance is clear. He will stay the course. I urge you
to join him in this effort.” -Carolyn Ho, Ehren's mother |
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| To demonstrate our support for Ehren,
and his couregeous stand, we call for a National Day of Action on June
27th to support Ehren as he officially resists deployment this week. We are urging you today to join with people across the country and attend or organize a coordinated action in your community on June 27th supporting Ehren’s refusal of orders! Supporters have planned events across the US. HERE is a list of participating events including ones in Ft Lewis, WA; Charlotte, NC; Cleveland, OH; Harrisburg, PA; New York, NY, San Francisco, CA; Oklahoma City, OK and more! |
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| Not one in your city? Plan one today! Here's how: 1) Choose a time and place 2) Download the organizing kit HERE (includes sample press release, flyer and poster with room for local info) 3) Let us know what you're planning! Send an e-mail to: supportlt@couragetoresist.org |
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| Please include the following info: *Your group or organization, and a contact person's e-mail and phone number. *Info about the support action (what, where, when, etc.) *Public contact info: a website (if you have one), e-mail ,etc. *Media contact (name and phone number) 4) Use this action to build awareness and momentum for planning even bigger actions around the dates of Lt. Watada's court martial. We'll update people immediately when the military sets Ehren's court martial date. 5) Send pictures and reportbacks from your local June 27 support action. Send to: supportlt@couragetoresist.org A war can end when the soldiers choose to stop fighting it,” says Ehren in the spirit of the GI resistance movement that played a major role in ending the Vietnam War, along with civilian support. We need you to be part of making this movement rise again. |
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