I find it appalling and frankly negligent that no mainstream newsmedia is covering this story. But in Yahoo news, it was reported that 1,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, including dozens of officers, most of whom are active duty, have signed a petition to Congress to oppose the war in Iraq. They call it the Appeal for Redress which not since Vietnam has such a drastic measure been taken by our military personnel when about 1,300 active-duty military signed an open letter opposing the Vietnam war. I have yet to see anything on television or in print that headlines this story. I had to read it on Yahoo News and The Nation — not exactly mainstream media.

But this is important for people to know in America because this protest is from people who are there, on the frontlines of this war, mingling with the natives and seeing this ‘war’ upfront and personal. What this petition states from soliers who have the courage to speak out, is an opposition to the war and a call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

One of the signers of this petition is Mark Dearden, an active-duty lieutenant commander in the Navy who is still considering a career in the military. In The Nation article, he says he didn’t take his decision to sign lightly because of possible reprecussions. However, supposedly the military cannot take reprisals against them because they are in effect expressing their right to contact their elected representatives which is neither illegal nor disrespectful. Dearden served two tours in Iraq attached to a Marine battalion which included the invasion of Iraq. He said that signing the Appeal gave him ‘closure’ and ‘peace’.




The Appeal is simple but powerful, just as Dearden’s motive for signing. It is composed of only a three sentence statement:

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 U.S. troops to come home.

There have been many more protests from others just as concerned as these soldiers. And an important point to remember is that for every one that signed, there are probably 1,000 who are too afraid to. Added to this, are the 8,000 signatures on a website protesting extended tours of duty. Counselors at the GI Rights Hotline estimate that as many as 1,000 or more troops and reservists go AWOL every month, not wanting to support a cause they don’t believe in. According to military rights lawyers, About 200 to 300 have fled to Canada. Then there are those half-dozen or so who are facing court-martial and jail for refusing to deploy to Iraq.

Interviews with more than two dozen of the petition signers revealed that even though they come from a broad diversity of racial, economic and educational backgrounds that “they agree the war was no longer worth fighting and that the troops should be brought home”. With members of the Appeal appearing on Capitol Hill on an appropriate Martin Luther King holiday weekend, there are hopes that Congress will listen. It has already made an impact with those ‘in the know’ who understand the ways that they can be punished for protesting, including internal evaluations, denial of promotions and harsh assignments or postings. It was Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, who said, “it’s simply unprecedented.”

Let’s help these soldiers get home to their wives and children. Join the community and speak out about this war!