U.S. Military Deserters in Canada Megathread

[geo]

Hmmm.... why doesn't he go back and become an election issue in his own coutry.
he can be the catalyst for change... if he has the guts to stand up for what he believes

 

[GAP]

Hmmm.... why doesn't he go back and become an election issue in his own coutry.
he can be the catalyst for change... if he has the guts to stand up for what he believes

Because wherever he went they would tar and feather him, just before running him out of town on a rail....

 

[geo]

And the problem is ???

 

[Huzzah]

"Guts" is one of the things that these deserters don't have.I could maybe give
them a small bit of respect if they went home to state their beliefs/case in a
court.
While others from their Units are serving overseas,these people don't even have
the courage to stand up for their beliefs in their own country.

 

[axeman]

thats always been my problem with these "soldiers" is that they have volunteered to serve  then they have run away from their moral obligations. Boo hoo that they will have to serve jail time,  no one is shooting there though. If they had ANY spine they would do the jail time and then walk away from the army/navy/marines /air force. jeez if our country had any spine they would pick em up and  drop them off on the US side of the border and deny them accsess to our country.

 

[geo]

Axeman... Our country DOES have spine.  But we are also governed by the rule of LAW.  Laws that are for everyone... and everyone has the RIGHT to be heard.  If same said individual doesn't have a leg to stand on... then back he goes.

 

[Danjanou]

Axeman... Our country DOES have spine.  But we are also governed by the rule of LAW.  Laws that are for everyone... and everyone has the RIGHT to be heard.  If same said individual doesn't have a leg to stand on... then back he goes.

Yup while there may be some loop holes in our laws and some take advantage of that, they remain our laws, a representation of our our society and that's the reason we  put the uniform and stood on the proverbial wall in the first place, to defend it.

 

[gaspasser]

What erks me is that this guy was 17 when he deserted from the USN.  What was he doing in the navy at 17???  And now he wants to be a "conscientious objector" and try to sway the voters of this country with anti-war rethoric...IN THIS Country!!  IN MY Country!!
I agree that he should go back and try it on the US voters, they have an election coming up!  Didn't we just bury a fine bunch of lads who gave all for someone else's country?? 
Sorry, no sympathy here.  ^-^
My $0.02   

 

[Strike]

What erks me is that this guy was 17 when he deserted from the USN.  What was he doing in the navy at 17???  And now he wants to be a "conscientious objector" and try to sway the voters of this country with anti-war rethoric...IN THIS Country!!   IN MY Country!!
I agree that he should go back and try it on the US voters, they have an election coming up!  Didn't we just bury a fine bunch of lads who gave all for someone else's country?? 
Sorry, no sympathy here.   ^-^
My $0.02   

Re-read the article.  It says he was a 17 yr veteran, which I read as saying he was in the Navy 17 yrs.

 

[geo]

My take on things... he figuread that being a Squid, he was safe from being deployed to a theatre named IRAQ.  When he got a message that said something to the contrary, that he was in fact going to spend a year in the sandbox, he figured his conviction in the armed services went out of the window.

 

[North Star]

As a non-citizen landed foreign national, this gentleman should shut his mouth and lobby for political aims in his own country, not for his personal preferences in another. Isn't there a law against foreigners interfering with our elections?

 

[Gunnar]

Isn't there a law against foreigners interfering with our elections

Yup.  But if they didn't slap Micheal Moore for doing it, they're not likely to slap this guy.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This just in, shared with the usual disclaimer....

Judge grants U.S. deserter's last-ditch effort to stave off deportation
Canadian Press, 22 Sept 08
Article link

TORONTO — A high-profile American deserter has won a last-minute stay of deportation.

A Federal Court judge says Jeremy Hinzman can stay in Canada for now. Hinzman was due to get the boot to the U.S. Tuesday morning, where he would face prosecution for fleeing to Canada rather than deploying to Iraq. Ottawa has refused his family's application to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

The 29-year-old Hinzman, his wife and two young children asked for the stay while the courts decide if they will review that decision.

His lawyer argued today that deserters who have been publicly critical of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq have received harsher punishment.

 

[Redeye]

Damn it!  On what ridiculous grounds are they allowing this guy to stay?  He has no appeals left.  It's clear he is NOT a refugee.  What else do the courts want?  Get him out of here.

This just in, shared with the usual disclaimer....

Judge grants U.S. deserter's last-ditch effort to stave off deportation
Canadian Press, 22 Sept 08
Article link

TORONTO — A high-profile American deserter has won a last-minute stay of deportation.

A Federal Court judge says Jeremy Hinzman can stay in Canada for now. Hinzman was due to get the boot to the U.S. Tuesday morning, where he would face prosecution for fleeing to Canada rather than deploying to Iraq. Ottawa has refused his family's application to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

The 29-year-old Hinzman, his wife and two young children asked for the stay while the courts decide if they will review that decision.

His lawyer argued today that deserters who have been publicly critical of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq have received harsher punishment.

 

[Huzzah]

Another goof-ball ruling,by another goof-ball judge...the system is chock-full
of 'em.The left is so open-minded that their brains fell out years ago.

 

[whitey]

I haven't read this whole thread (62 pages), but I would like to know what some are your opinions are on soldiers who have been stop lossed. I do feel for some of these guys (not all).

 

[Strike]

I haven't read this whole thread (62 pages), but I would like to know what some are your opinions are on soldiers who have been stop lossed. I do feel for some of these guys (not all).

You might want to skim through those 62 pages then because we've all pretty much covered it.

 

[George Wallace]

You might want to skim through those 62 pages then because we've all pretty much covered it.

Exactly.  Why else do you figure we have 62 pages?  They are 62 pages of opinionated posts. 

 

[geo]

I haven't read this whole thread (62 pages), but I would like to know what some are your opinions are on soldiers who have been stop lossed. I do feel for some of these guys (not all).

Ummm...
Readers Digest version...

The man joined after 9/11
The man was a volunteer - he wanted to join the military & signed on the dotted line - This is not someone who was drafted and forced into the military - like things happened during the Vietnam era...

He wanted in & they let him in...
Now that the Gov't wants the man to exercise that trade they taught him (at considerable cost to the US Public), this man wants out !!!  Does that make any sense ???

Make him face the music & meet the committment that he willingly signed up for.
Else - make him reimburse the US Gov't every last nickle they spent on him.

 

[armyvern]

And, here reproduced under the Fairdealings provisions of the copyright act ...

Is a 'lil update on the Liberal take on this decision

Liberals back U.S. war resister's bid to stay in Canada

Last Updated: Thursday, September 18, 2008 | 6:44 PM ET Comments154Recommend54CBC News
Former U.S. soldier Jeremy Hinzman, shown here in 2006, has less than a week before his deportation deadline Tuesday. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)With less than a week before U.S. Iraq war resister Jeremy Hinzman and his family are to be deported, the Liberals have reaffirmed their support for his fight to stay in Canada.

The 29-year-old Hinzman, his wife, Nga Nguyen, and their children — six-year-old Liam and six-week-old Meghan — have been ordered to leave Canada by Sept. 23 or face deportation.

If Hinzman is sent back to the U.S., he faces imprisonment and a criminal record.

Fresh off the campaign trail, Liberal Bob Rae spoke at a Toronto news conference Thursday with Hinzman.

Rae said the Liberals are still committed to keeping American war deserters in Canada.

He urged the government to support a motion passed earlier this year by all parties, except the Conservatives, to let conscientious objectors take up permanent residence.

"I don't think we should be having a situation where we're dead set on deportation in every situation, which seems to be the position of the government," Rae said.

Hinzman and his family came to Canada in 2004 after his attempts to gain conscientious objector status in the U.S. army were turned down.

His troop was about to be deployed to Iraq at the time, and he did not want to participate in what he called an immoral war.

Hinzman, who has applied for a stay of removal, said he's not expecting it to be granted.

"The Conservatives are ahead and they're not sympathetic to us in the least," he said, referring to opinion polls in advance of the Oct. 14. election.