US deserter to be deported from Canada...

[Mike70]

OK, yes the iraq is an immoral, murderous waste of lives and money BUT this dude volunteered for the military. he had already gotten conscientious objector status and had been placed in a non-combat role.

as a veteran i don't have a lot of patience for this sort of nonsense. no one made this guy join the army and becoming a conscientious objector when you find out you are going to a combat zone strikes me as, well, a bit of a cop out.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/08/13/canada.deserter.ap/index.html


note: i placed this in media instead of general discussion because it revolves around a news story. it probably could go in either room though.

[bassman]

I never knew you were a veteran...

How can you run after signing up, anyway? What a goon...

*starts counting down the time it takes for this to turn into a political thread where everyone insults each other...*

[SymphonicX]

No insults here. The army is not my thing, military is not my thing, at all....so I didn't, and haven't, and won't, join the army...makes sense doesn't it? The dude should've thought about that before signing up....there's a chance he might go to combat. However I will say that some of the techniques that various military bodies employ to get people to sign up is disgusting and a high pressure situation, so there is that to consider. They've been known to follow people around trying to get them to sign up....ugh

[EvilNed]

I was talking to a guy yesterday, and he said:

People are afraid of change. People are afraid of people who change their minds. People are afraid of being changed.

Well, this is a case of a guy being changed. He signed up for something he believed in, and got something which changed his mind to the more reasonable. How hard is that to understand, really? We, as humans, we evolve. We develop.

"War is sweet to those who have not known it.". Well, before he signed up, he hadn't known it. Now he has, and it changed him.

EDIT: Sorry, read the article. The guy never even got shipped over. In that case, why did he sign up?

[Mike70]

I never knew you were a veteran...

yep. i was in the army, 10th mountain division, for 3 years.



Well, this is a case of a guy being changed. He signed up for something he believed in, and got something which changed his mind to the more reasonable. How hard is that to understand, really? We, as humans, we evolve. We develop.

a good point. in my case after 3 years in the military my opinion and view of it changed radically. it is not a commitment to be entered into lightly, because once you're in, you're in.

[DjfunkmasterG]

While I don't believe in or support the war in IRAQ, I am thankful there are men and women who volunteer to protect my freedom and rights on a daily basis. I do applaud them for that, and I am thankful for the sacrifices veterans of past wars have made for mine and everyones freedoms.

Although i would never join the military, even if I could I wouldn't, it doesn't stop me from being thankful for those that have.

Scipio, since you are veteran, thank you for what you have done. :D

[Mike70]

Scipio, since you are veteran, thank you for what you have done. :D

your very welcome.

i'd like to put a shout out to professor chaos and exatreides too. both vets of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. if there are others out there, let us know. i'd like to recognize you all for what you've done.

[Legion2213]

What a dick! If you aren't willing to go where you are deployed, don't join the frigging army....jeez! I hope this guy gets the book thrown at him.

My sincere thanks to all the people of the British Army who join up to protect folks like me, and my respect to all the people serving in the armed forces of our allies.

[acealive1]

non combat and one weekend a month guys are having their rights stripped which sucks

[Bub666]

What a dick! If you aren't willing to go where you are deployed, don't join the frigging army....jeez! I hope this guy gets the book thrown at him.

I agree.

[Mike70]

I hope this guy gets the book thrown at him.

it will certainly be interesting to see what happens to this guy. since he is classified as a deserter and there are a couple of wars on, the penalties could be really severe. somehow i doubt this guy is going to get hammered.

the thing i find super irritating about this story is that the guy decided that he was a conscientious objector after he signed up. ok. the military accomadates that and puts him in a non-combat role but he still takes off. i don't get that.

i hold no grudge against anyone who evaded the draft by going to canada. that is an entirely different situation from the one in the article. no one forced this guy to join. he volunteered. that is what has me a bit irate.