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Doing What’s Right

by Robin Weage
Staff Writer to theCenter.com

Most of us have never been put in the position where we would go to jail for doing what we felt was right, but that is what’s happening to Ehren Watada. His decision to refuse deployment to Iraq and to speak out about it has resulted in a court martial where he is accused of one count of missing movement and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. His trial begins Monday at Ft. Lewis, Washington and if convicted Watada will face four years in prison.

According to the LA Times, he publicly stated that he felt the war was illegal and immoral, and he would not play a part in it. He tried to resign, but the Army denied him. He told them he was willing to fight in Afghanistan. The Army let him know that a soldier can’t pick and choose where he fights. Out of options, except to go and keep his head down, he stayed.

He has become a polarizing figure. Anti-war activists consider him a hero. Pro-war groups consider him a coward and a traitor. One syndicated columnist even went so far as to post his picture on her website with the caption “The face of a deserter.” However, Watada insists that he is not afraid to fight. “I’m not a pacifist. If our country needed defending, I’d be the first one to pick up a rifle. But I won’t be part of a war that I believe is criminal.”

The military’s view of the First Lieutenant is less black and white. Watada’s record before refusing to leave for Iraq was exemplary. He was not a troublemaker or the kind of person who made decisions without thinking them through. As the first and only officer to refuse to go to Iraq, Watada’s voice carried a lot of weight. The Army felt that his refusal carried the potential to undermine the war effort. This view was on display in pre-trial wrangling where Army prosecutors argued that Watada’s actions, including his speech, were dangerous to both the mission and the morale of other soldiers.

Watada and his attorney, Eric Seitz tried to base his defense on the legality of the war, but last month military judge, Lt. Col. John Head ruled against them. Head also rejected claims that the First Ammendment protected Watada’s statements.

Since the Lieutenant began his protest against what he saw as an illegal war he has gained company. The November elections are commonly seen as a referendum on the war with a solid majority wanting the troops brought home. And in January active military and Guard personnel carried an appeal sanctioned under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act to Capitol Hill.

The “Appeal of Redress” stated: “As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for the U.S. troops to come home.” Over 1000 active duty military and Guard personnel signed the Appeal, including over 400 officers. For more information go to: http://www.appealforredress.org/index.php.

Information from the Associated Press, Reuters, and appealforredress.org was used in this report

Comments

Page 1 of 2: 12

#1 | chazmanz on February 05 2007 21:28:30

The war in Iraq IS illegal. The administration lied to Congress and the people of the U.S. in order to take us to war, not for the good of the country but for the good of those in power.

#2 | honey88 on February 05 2007 22:21:36

Good for Ehren Watada. Doesn't anyone remember the outcome of the Nuremburg trials? There is no doubt that Bush, Rummy, Cheney etal. are war criminals, and if you unquestioning follow the orders of war criminals when you know those orders are asking you to do an immoral act to another human being, then you too are a war criminal.

Nice to know there is one officer our there with a heart and a brain.

#3 | cmsix on February 05 2007 23:02:39

I admire him for standing up for he believes in even if it is at something of a late date. Was he blind when he joined up, didn't he already know that the whole federal government was doing illegal things every day, and that it was practically the embodiment of immoral? My God, over half the bastards are lawyers, what did he expect?

cmsix

#4 | lanz on February 06 2007 00:03:39

Ehren Watada is truly a HERO and i know he's not doing this to become a hero but because he knows in his gut that going to Iraq is WRONG! (also millions of other people).

Bush administration is using its power to order Americans to go to war. This is none other than to gain control in Iraq and then install a puppet Presiden there and give them all the business they need.

This is also to protect the interest of Israel as the most powerful country in the Middle East region. Everything that happens in world are mostly to support the cause of Israel. Study history and you will see!

As for Ehren Watada, my highest salute to you!
As for Bush and his cronies, stop wasting American People's money!

#5 | nmjg12 on February 06 2007 00:05:43

Dear cmix,

Hurray for some real comments with common sense and thought involved.

I agree wholeheartedly, I have the greatest admiration for anyone who stands up for what they feel is morally correct as long as they are willing to pay the price.

I also totally agree that many voluntary enlistees were taking advantage of the extrordinairy benefits without the thought of ever being called upon to give service to the country that they volutarily enlisted for.

None will know this individuals true beleifs except himself. I would ask that he voluntarily agree to give all his back pay back if he is now so opposed to the job he took volutarily if he truly beleives. I would not take money or keep money if I thought I was involved with something evil.

And your last statement hits the nail on the head, except I think it is about 80% that are shysters in Washington? We would be fortunate if it were only 50% being lawyers.

I have heard to much emotionalism and few solutions as from Amanda, that commented personally against my satirical comment. I commented on Hillary, which is a public figure and Amanda, when commenting personally against me,

keep in mind I am not a public figure. You studied political science, don't you know the rules are different. Now another two emotuinal comments, that McCain said were intellectually bankrupt without solutions. Easy to criticize, hard to solve.

To many emotional radical comments from ego's that are ten times larger than their intellects, and I thought it was just brain cancer with that awful swelling?

I sure will be glad if we can ever get back, " TO THE CENTER ".

#6 | nmjg12 on February 06 2007 00:25:38

Ianz, your comments speak for themselves since you are from Malaysia and the official religion is Islam.
Not much of a surprise that your historical view of Isreal is a bit skewed.
Must have been reading revisionist history?

I have just noticed an influx of commenters decidedly radical in some of their views. Wonder if this is a co-incidence or planned?

They seem to be to outspoken against the USA and these are citizens of other countries. Wow, what a surprise! Don't they have any problems in their own countries to comment on or it is their sole hobby to bash America, and not surprisingly from elsewheres. Amazing. But, lacks credibilty.

Hear alot of complaining and whining but few solutions?

These childish pablum comments without weight or value do not solve or resolve conflicts. Where's all the ideas and solutions if your comments are to be taken credibly???

#7 | G Bottomley on February 06 2007 05:22:57

The fact of the matter is that Ehren Watada is a member of the US Army ... and so regardless of whether you feel that the Iraq war is the coming of the rapture or a necessary evil, this man has broken the law. As a solider, he cannot refuse deployment. It is part of the job discription. So while yes it is painful to see a situation like this unfold and while yes he has made a enormous sacarfice for our country, he is breaking the law.

#8 | Jimmy D on February 06 2007 14:36:02

Reflect on this. All a person really has in this world, the one thing that is yours and yours alone, is honor. I know it is usually the first thing to go in our “modern” world, after all a since of honor just gets in the way of most personal pursuits. Still we are all born into this world with our honor unsullied, regardless of our position on the socio-economic ladder. We enter into contracts with others based on honor (do not tell the lawyers, they exist due directly to the erosion of honor in our society). There are three that come to mind where we actually go on public record and state our intent to uphold our part of a bargain or contract, with honor. They are marriage, a court of law, and the oath taken before beginning military service. These contract all state that we will uphold our part of a bargain to the point of sacrificing our own self-interest, we will not cheat on our spouses and leave our children to suffer so we can “find ourselves”, we will state the truth in court, even if the truth does not show us at our best, and we will faithfully serve our contract to the military even if it means our death. These are all acts that we do because we have given the one thing that we truly own, as collateral for the contract, our personal honor.

In this light I can not sympathize very much with the Lt. he swore an oath and he has now proven himself to be a man without personal honor.

#9 | nmjg12 on February 07 2007 02:32:36

Armitage and Jimmy:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I do think my hopes and wishes are closer than I thought. It felt like we were losing another website to the radical self interest groups that tends to scare away the moderate sensible views even if they are different than your own. Viva la differance.

Toto, Maybe we are back to the Center?

#10 | littletoyman on February 11 2007 10:56:41

Armitage Shanks, as you point out Ehren Watada is a soldier and upon enlistment, Regular Army, National Guard or Reserve, he took an oath. My Father didn't want to leave home and go to the Pacific, but he went, My older brother and I didn't want to go to Korea, but we went, My younger brother didn't want to go to Viet Nam, but he went. Now Lt. Watada, you are an officer, be the gentleman and fulfill your obligation, which you swore you would do when you enlisted and affirmed each time the paymaster presented you with a check for duties rendered.
nmjg12, As you speak, I too hope we are not losing yet another forum to the loud, outyelling (not spoken) minority. It is unfortunate the majority of Americans are so complacent and do not join together, even when a cause is just and for their best interests. It is rather the splinter groups that are the loudest and promote their own agendas.