Full transcript
0:07Thank you everyone very much and thank
0:10you all for your tremendous support. How
0:12honored and delighted I am to be in the
0:14same room with you tonight. I am deeply
0:17humbled by the company of the other
0:19wonderful speakers that came before me.
0:22You are all true American patriots.
0:24Although long since out of uniform, you
0:27continue to fight for the very same
0:28principles you once swore to uphold and
0:30defend.
0:32No one knows the devastation and
0:33suffering of war more than the veterans.
0:36Which is why we should always be the
0:37first to prevent it.
0:47I wasn't entirely sure what to say
0:49tonight. I thought as a leader in
0:51general, I should speak to motivate.
0:53Now, I know that this isn't the
0:54military, and surely there are many out
0:56there who outrank me, and at one point
0:58or another, and yes, I am just an LT.
1:04Yet, I feel as though we are all
1:06citizens of this great country. And what
1:08I have to say is not a matter of
1:09authority, but from one citizen to
1:12another. We have all seen this war tear
1:15apart our country over the past 3 years.
1:17It seems as though nothing we've done
1:19from vigils to protest to letters to
1:22Congress have had any effect in
1:24persuading the powers that be.
1:26Tonight, I would like to speak to you
1:29about an idea for a change of strategy.
1:32I'm here tonight because I took a leap
1:34of faith. My action is not the first and
1:36it certainly will not be the last. Yet,
1:39on behalf of those who follow, I require
1:41your help, your sacrifice, and that of
1:45countless other Americans.
1:47I may fail. We all may fail. But nothing
1:51we have tried has worked so far. It is
1:54time for change. And the change starts
1:56with all of us.
1:58I stand before you today not as an
2:00expert, not as one who pretends to have
2:02all the answers. I am simply an American
2:05and a servant of the American people.
2:08My humble opinions today are just that.
2:12I realize that you may not agree with
2:13everything I have to say. However, I did
2:16not choose to be a leader to be popular.
2:18I did it to serve and make better the
2:20soldiers of this country.
2:22And I swore to carry out this charge
2:24honorably under the rule of law. Today,
2:27I speak with you about a radical idea.
2:30It is one born from the very concept of
2:32the American soldier or the service
2:34member. It became instrumental in ending
2:37the Vietnam War, but it has long been
2:39since forgotten. The idea is this, that
2:43to stop an illegal and unjust war, the
2:47soldiers and service members can choose
2:49to stop fighting it.
3:12Now it is not an easy task for the
3:15soldier for he or she must be aware that
3:17they are being used for ill gain. They
3:19must hold themselves responsible for
3:21individual action. They must remember
3:23duty to the constitution and the people
3:25supersedes the ideologies of their
3:27leadership. The soldier must be willing
3:29to face ostracism by their peers, worry
3:32over the survival of their families, and
3:34of course, the loss of personal freedom.
3:38They must know that resisting an
3:39authoritarian government at home is
3:42equally important to fighting a foreign
3:43aggressor on the battlefield.
3:47Finally,
3:49those wearing the uniform must know
3:50beyond any shadow of a doubt that by
3:53refusing immoral and illegal orders,
3:56they will be supported by the people not
3:58with mere words, but by action.
4:03The American soldier must rise above the
4:05socialization that tells them authority
4:07should always be obeyed without
4:08question.
4:10Rank should be respected but never
4:12blindly followed.
4:13Amen. Awareness of the history of
4:15atrocities and destruction committed in
4:17the name of America, either through
4:19direct military intervention or by proxy
4:21war, is crucial. They must realize that
4:24this is a war not out of self-defense,
4:26but by choice for profit and
4:28imperialistic domination.
4:37WMD ties to al-Qaeda and ties to 9/11
4:41never existed and they never will. The
4:44soldier must know the soldier must know
4:47that our narrowly and questionably
4:48elected officials intentionally
4:50manipulated the evidence presented to
4:52Congress, the public, and the world to
4:56make the case for war. They must know
4:58that neither Congress nor this
5:00administration has the authority to
5:02violate the prohibition against
5:03preemptive war, an American law that
5:05still stands today.
5:07This same administration uses us for
5:10rampant violations of time- tested laws
5:12banning torture and degradation of
5:14prisoners of war. Though the American
5:17soldier wants to do right, the
5:19illegitimacy of the occupation itself,
5:22the policies of this administration and
5:24the rules of engagement of desperate
5:26field commanders will ultimately force
5:28them to be party to war crimes. They
5:31must know some of these facts, if not
5:33all, in order to act.
5:35Mark Twain once remarked, "Each man must
5:38for himself alone decide what is right
5:40and what is wrong. Which course is
5:43patriotic and which isn't." You cannot
5:46sherk this and be a man. To decide
5:49against your conviction is to be an
5:50unqualified and inexcusable traitor both
5:53to yourself and to your country. By this
5:57each and every American soldier, marine,
6:00airman, and sailor is responsible for
6:02their choices and their actions. The
6:04freedom to choose is only one that we
6:06can deny ourselves.
6:08The oath we take swears allegiance not
6:10to one man, but to a document of
6:13principles and laws designed to protect
6:15the American people. Enlisting in the
6:18military does not relinquish one's right
6:20to seek the truth. Neither does it
6:22excuse one from rational thought, nor
6:24the ability to distinguish between right
6:26and wrong. I was only following orders
6:30is never an excuse.
6:33The Nuremberg trial showed America and
6:35the world that citizenry as well as
6:38soldiers have the unreinquishable
6:40obligation to refuse complicity in the
6:43war crimes perpetrated by their
6:44government.
6:46Widespread torture and inhumane
6:48treatment of detainees is a war crime. A
6:51war of aggression born through an
6:52unofficial policy of prevention is a
6:54crime against the peace. An occupation
6:57violating the very essence of
6:58international humanitarian law and
7:00sovereignty is a crime against humanity.
7:03These crimes are funded by our tax
7:05dollars. Should citizens choose to rem
7:08remain silent through self-imposed
7:10ignorance or choice, it makes them
7:12equally as culpable as the soldiers in
7:15these crimes.
7:23[Music]
7:26The Constitution is no mere document.
7:29Neither is it old, outdated, or
7:31irrelevant. It is the embodiment of all
7:34that Americans hold dear. Truth,
7:37justice, and equality for all. It is the
7:40formula for a government of the people
7:42and by the people. It is a government
7:44that is transparent and accountable to
7:46whom they serve. and it dictates a
7:49system of checks and balances and
7:51separation of powers to prevent the evil
7:53that is tyranny.
7:55As strong as the constitution is, it is
7:57not foolproof. It does not fully take
8:00into account the frailty of human
8:02nature. Profit, greed, and hunger for
8:05power can corrupt individuals as much as
8:08they can corrupt institutions.
8:10The founders of the Constitution could
8:12not have imagined how money would infect
8:14our political system. Neither could they
8:17believe a standing army would be used
8:18for profit and manifest destiny. Like
8:21any common dictatorship, soldiers would
8:23be ordered to commit acts of such
8:25heinous nature as to be deemed most
8:28ungentlemanly and unbecoming that of a
8:30free country.
8:34The American soldier is not a mercenary.
8:37He or she does not simply fight wars for
8:39payment. Indeed, the state of the
8:41American soldier is worse than that of a
8:43mercenary. for a soldier for hire can
8:45walk away if they are disgusted by their
8:47employer's actions. Indeed, excuse me,
8:50instead, especially when it comes to
8:52war, American soldiers become indentured
8:55servants, whether they volunteer out of
8:57patriotism or are drafted through
8:59economic desperation.
9:01Doesn't matter what the soldiers doesn't
9:03matter what the soldier believes is
9:04morally right. If this is a war of
9:07necessity, why force men and women to
9:09fight? When it comes to a war of
9:11ideology, the lines between right and
9:13wrong are blurred. How tragic it is when
9:16the term catch22 defines the modern
9:19American military.
9:28Aside from the reality of indentured
9:29servitude, the American soldier in
9:31theory is much nobler.
9:33soldier or officer. When we swear our
9:35oath, it is first and foremost to the
9:38Constitution and its protectorate, the
9:40people. If soldiers realize this war is
9:43contr contrary to what the Constitution
9:45extols, if they stood up and threw their
9:48weapons down, no president could ever
9:50again initiate a war of choice.
10:14When we say against all enemies, foreign
10:17and domestic, what if our elected
10:19leaders become the enemy? Whose orders
10:22do we follow? The answer is the
10:24conscience that lies in each soldier or
10:27service member, each American and each
10:29human being. Our duty to the
10:32constitution is an obligation, not a
10:34choice.
10:36The military and especially especially
10:38the army is an institution of fraternity
10:40and close-knit camaraderie. Peer
10:43pressure exists to ensure cohesiveness,
10:45but it stamps out individualism and
10:47individual thought.
10:50The idea of brotherhood and sisterhood
10:52is difficult to pull away from if the
10:54alternative is loneliness and isolation.
10:57If we want soldiers to choose the right
10:59but difficult path, they must know
11:01beyond any shadow of a doubt that they
11:03will be supported by many Americans.
11:09To support the troops who resist, you
11:11must make your voices heard. If they see
11:14thousands supporting me, they will know.
11:17I have heard your support as has Suzanne
11:20Swift as has Ricky Clausy but many
11:23others have not. Increasingly more
11:26soldiers are questioning what they are
11:28being asked to do. Yet the majority lack
11:30awareness to see the truth that is
11:32buried beneath the headlines. Many more
11:35see no alternative but to obey. We must
11:38show open-minded soldiers and service
11:39members a choice and we must give them
11:41the courage to act.
11:44Three weeks ago, Sergeant Hernandez from
11:45the 172nd Striker Brigade was killed,
11:48leaving behind a wife and two children.
11:52In an interview, his wife said he
11:53sacrificed his life so that his family
11:56could survive. I'm sure Sergeant
11:58Hernandez cherished the camaraderie of
12:00his brothers, but given a choice, I
12:02doubt he would put himself in a position
12:04to leave his family husbandless and
12:06fatherless.
12:07Yet, that's the point. You see, people
12:09like Sergeant Hernandez don't have a
12:11choice. The choices are to fight in Iraq
12:14or let your family starve. Many soldiers
12:17don't refuse this war in mass because
12:19like all of us, they value their
12:20families over their own lives and
12:22perhaps their conscience. Who would
12:24willingly spend years in prison for
12:26principle and morality while denying
12:28their family sustenance. I tell this to
12:31you because you must know that to stop
12:33this war, for the soldiers to stop
12:36fighting it, they must have the
12:37unconditional support of the people.
12:40I have seen the support with my own
12:42eyes.
12:43For me, it was a leap of faith. For
12:46other soldiers, they do not have that
12:48luxury. They must know it, and you must
12:51show it to them. Convince them that no
12:53matter how long they sit in prison, no
12:55matter how long this country takes to
12:57write itself, their families will have a
12:59roof over their heads, food in their
13:02stomachs, opportunities, and education.
13:06This is a daunting task. It requires the
13:10sacrifice of many of us. Why must
13:13Canadians feed and house our fellow
13:15Americans who have chosen to do the
13:16right thing?
13:18We should be taking care of our own.
13:22Are we that powerless? Are we that
13:23unwilling to risk something for those
13:25who can truly end this war? How do you
13:28support the troops but not the war? By
13:30supporting those who can truly stop it.
13:32Let them know that resistance to
13:34participate in an illegal war is not
13:36feudal and not without a future.
13:42In conclusion,
13:45I have broken no law but the code of
13:47silence and unquestioning loyalty. If I
13:50am guilty of any crime, it is that I
13:52learn too much and care too deeply for
13:55the meaningless loss of my fellow
13:57soldiers and my fellow human beings.
14:01If I am to be punished, it should be for
14:02following the rule of law over the
14:04immoral orders of one man. If I am to be
14:07punished, it should be for not acting
14:09sooner. Martin Luther King Jr. once
14:11said, "History will have to be will have
14:14to record that the greatest tragedy of
14:16this period was not the stride and
14:18clamor of the bad people, but the
14:20appalling silence of the good people."
14:23Now, I'm not a hero. I am a leader of
14:26men who said enough is enough.
14:30those who called for war prior to the
14:32invasion compare diplomacy with Saddam
14:34to the compromises made to Hitler. I say
14:37we compromise now by allowing a
14:39government that uses war as the first
14:41option instead of the last to act with
14:43impunity.
14:45Many have said this about the World
14:47Trade Center. Never again. I agree.
14:51Never again will we allow those who
14:53threaten our way of life to reign free,
14:56be they terrorists or elected officials.
14:59the time to fight back.
15:14The time to fight back is now. The time
15:17to stand up and be counted is today.
15:20And I'll end this with just one last
15:22quote from Martin Luther King Jr.
15:25One who breaks an unjust law that
15:27conscience tells him is unjust and who
15:29willingly accepts the penalty of
15:31imprisonment in order to arouse the
15:33conscience of the community over its
15:35injustice is in reality expressing the
15:39highest respect for law. Thank you all.
15:50Heat.
15:51[Music]