Last October, readers of JoS (and wmtc) donated $3,000 to buy a much-needed automobile for Tim and Cathy Baskin. I was never more happy to have this blog than when I read Tim's thank-you note.
Laura started another Fundable campaign -- here -- to cover some of the mounting legal fees incurred by US soldiers who have refused to violate international law and participate in the Iraq invasion and brutal, ongoing occupation. They left their old lives behind (in many cases, severing ties with relatives and friends) and came with their families to Canada looking to live in peace.
The majority of Canadian people believe these former soldiers should be allowed to stay in Canada. In June 2008, the Canadian Parliament passed a motion calling on the Government to allow the war resisters to stay. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his minority government ignored the motion.Amazingly, the $2,500 amount (which was chosen as a significant, but likely reachable, goal) was reached in only two weeks! The fund is now over $4,000!
Shamefully, Stephen Harper continues to ignore the will of the people and of Parliament. The Harper government is deporting war resisters, forcing them to return to the US. There, they will be court martialled, imprisoned and likely receive dishonourable discharges, the equivalent of a felony conviction, which will hinder their future opportunities -- forever.
Three US war resisters have already been deported. ... The War Resisters Support Campaign is fighting to keep US war resisters safe in Canada. Until a law is passed allowing them all to stay, we must fight each deportation in court. Even at the most discounted fees from lawyers sympathetic to our cause, we face thousands of dollars in mounting legal costs.
We are asking for your help. This is an all-volunteer campaign (in fact, volunteers often fund the campaign out of their own pockets). ...
Still, the campaign needs as much money as possible to continue to fight Harper's refusal to follow the democratic process. I know money is tight for most of you, but please consider donating as little as $10. Every cent of it will go directly to these court costs.
Donations will be accepted until March 25. Of course, the WRSC will accept donations after that date, too!
Thank you very much.
5 comments:
woohoo! Political content!
"readers of JoS (and wmtc) donated $3,000"
And RSFPT readers.
"readers of JoS (and wmtc) donated $3,000"
And RSFPT readers.
Yes! But to be fair and accurate, there were many donations from the Baskins' friends and members of their synagogue. We weren't the only people to circulate the link - although the blog exposure helped considerably.
Thanks for posting this, Allan.
A note to readers: supporting military resistance is a concrete way you can support peace. Every soldier who lays down his or her arms and says, "I will not do this" is one less person making war.
There's definitely a brainwashing-type thing that goes on where when you're young, you're taught to "stand up for your country," but you're not really taught to question things, especially not "what if my country is wrong?"
Yes, definitely. And when you come from a background where patriotism is very narrowly defined (my country right or wrong), where there's no awareness of other ways to think or live - and no awareness of other countries - the indoctrination is very intense.
No matter what happens with the war resisters, they've been completely transformed by their experiences. They started out as Wal-Mart workers who did as they were told - now their world view is so expansive, they are exploring a whole new way of life. Many of them I know will be lifelong peace activists. It's been really cool to witness.
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