Supreme Court denies appeal
by U.S. deserter
Nov. 16
Two U.S. army deserters, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey, are once again in the news because the Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear their refugee claim appeals. Now a dual Canadian/U.S. citizen, I grew up in the metropolitan New York area during the Vietnam War. Arriving in Canada in 1967 to attend McGill University, I was acquainted with both draft dodgers and deserters from the U.S. forces. Canada welcomed these young Americans, and many went on to become productive members of Canadian society.
There is, however, a very significant difference between the draft dodgers and deserters of the Vietnam era and deserters from the current U.S. forces. Those from the Vietnam era did not choose to join the U.S. forces; draft dodgers opposed the war for whatever their personal reasons and chose to flee to Canada rather than enter the forces as draftees. Deserters from the Vietnam conflict fled for their own personal reasons, too, often because they were morally opposed to the conflict.
Today there are no draft dodgers because there is no conscription. Young Americans choose to join the U.S. armed forces for a number of reasons, including career opportunities, free health care and free higher education. When an individual joins the armed forces, there is an understanding that they may be sent to an area of armed conflict. Those who enlist do receive "perks" as members of the armed forces, but they must also accept the responsibilities that come with such perks, namely being asked to fight for one's country.
Choosing to desert rather than accepting one's obligations is unacceptable, and deserters such as Hinzman and Hughey must face the consequences. Whether Canadians feel U.S. participation in the Iraq war is just or unjust is not the issue; deserters are not refugees and must not be accepted as such.
Joanne R. Fisher, Thornhill
5 comments:
I would say, anyone who has not put themselves in harm's way for the country, should shut the fuck aout this issue. You have no business calling anyone a coward, coward.
Provide an eMail address......
Word History: A coward is one who "turns tail." The word comes from Old French couart, coart, "coward," and is related to Italian codardo, "coward." Couart is formed from coe, a northern French dialectal variant of cue, "tail" (from Latin co-da), to which the derogatory suffix -ard was added. This suffix appears in bastard, laggard, and sluggard, to name a few. A coward may also be one with his tail between his legs. In heraldry a lion couard, "cowardly lion," was depicted with his tail between his legs. So a coward may be one with his tail hidden between his legs or one who turns tail and runs like a rabbit, with his tail showing.
TAKE YOUR PICK
alarmist, baby*, big baby, caitiff, chicken*, chicken liver*, chicken-heart, craven, cur, dastard, deserter, faint-of-heart, fraidy cat, funk, gutless*, gutless wonder, invertebrate*, jellyfish*, lily-liver, malingerer, milksop, milquetoast, mollycoddle, mouse*, nerd, pessimist, poltroon, punk, quitter, rabbit*, recreant, scaredy-cat, shirk, shirker, sissy, skulker, sneak, turkey, weak sister, weakling, white liver*, yellow*, yellow-belly
oh I'll pick quite a few of those for you. Until you know what real fear is when bullets are flying by your head, you have no business hiding behind your keyboard with a fictitious name calling people in the military, a coward.
It seems since you've replied I've struck a nerve.
you will notice I publish all of your comments, even though you do them anonymously, because I feel I am performing a public service in helping you deal with whatever mental problems you have but I don't respond as a rule because your comments add nothing to the topic at hand and are reminiscent of childhood temper trantrums.
Have a good day......goodbye
no you publish them because you have nothing better to do. You don't have anyone commenting here, and likely I am making your day to have someone actually respond to your rubbish.
Instead of defending your position, and god forbid actually cause a debate, you instead, like clockwork, as you have always done in the past, curiously resort to accusing someone of having mental problems because they took the time to express their opinion, right or wrong, on your post.
Now what, does that say about your endeavors here, hmmm?
No, you have a nice day. You need it.
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