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Hosted By: Iraq Veterans Against the War
When: Wednesday Sep 03, 2008
at 7:00 AM
Where: Camp Pendleton, San Diego, and Hollywood
San Diego, CA 92055
United States
Description:
Iraq Veterans Against the War

Click Here To View Event

Hosted By: Lisa Cantu/Wendy Barranco
When: 05 Jul 2008, 06:00 AM
Where: Lisa's House
1288 West 3rd St.
San Pedro, CA 90732
United States
Description:
Lisa Cantu/Wendy Barranco

Click Here To View Event

Deployment affects everyone especially family members who have to deal with the brunt load that service members carry. The "war" is not over because politicians say so. The "war" rages on inside the hearts and minds of those directly affected by it. They say we should stay the course or else Iraq will be a blood bath. Is it not a blood bath already? Do we honestly believe that if we were given our right to govern our own country that we would let it fall into the hands of evil doers? We do, as Americans, have the natural right to keep our country into the hands of the people, not the corporations, politicians, or wealthy families. The same will happen in Iraq once the people collectively understand that there is noone else but them to take back their country. American forces serve as false security and Iraqis will do less than half because were occupying them. When we come home from this debacle, will America continue to support us? Vietnam vets, to this day, are dealing with life issues. Its life long to my understanding and I wonder how much more should we send into battle knowing that the battle continues well after the war becomes history and so will the men and women who have fought. How many yellow ribbon magnets have disappeared since the invasion? But all of our struggles ,post trauma, seconadry trauma wont be duly noted in history. No. We will have a monument commemorating the gallantry and heroism while vets lay on the streets homeless, and disabled vets fighting for their survival because medical insurance is too costly and employment is unavailable to them. Also to mention the families who crack and break because the experience becomes too unbearable to cope. Sacrifice is endless. We participated in this "war". We affirm the cause for it everytime we let another year pass. And for every year that passes comes another family having to cope with post trauma, another burden on the people, another vet lost in society. When do we stop? Are we not THE PEOPLE of United States? Last I checked, the Preamble to the Constitution was wirtten with three powerful words, WE THE PEOPLE. If we dont control our destiny, somebody will.

Eric Estenzo
South-West Regional Coordinator, LA Chapter Member
USMC 99-05, OIF I

We've reposted this well written post from www.ivaw.org because it perfectly states why being a member of IVAW is living up to one's values as a member of the military.

The Army Values Support IVAW
by Army Sergeant | Wed, 11/14/2007 - 3:14pm

A lot of people question how I can be a sergeant in the Army, giving my oath true weight, and believing in its values, and still be a member of IVAW.

It's easy. I believe in the Army's purpose-it is to defend our country and protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I don't think its purpose is foreign wars we can't win. Its true purpose is noble, and has been subverted by armchair soldiers, politicians who have never had to serve. They don't know these values, and they don't live them-but I do. And here's why they support, rather than contradict, what I'm doing now as a member of IVAW.

Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and fellow soldiers.

Nowhere in this list does it say "the current leadership of your country, and their political decisions". I am loyal to my fellow soldiers; I do not want them to die in a purposeless war. I am loyal to the Army; I do not want it to be weakened on multiple fronts and taken away from its true purpose, defense of the nation. I am loyal to the Constitution; a Constitution which is under attack by men who have not sacrificed to protect it. I bear true faith and allegiance to these, most particularly the Constitution which founded our nation.

Duty: Fulfill your obligations

Our highest obligations as soldiers is our obligation to our country and the flag we salute. Our obligation as citizens and patriots compels us to defend our country in any way we can-against its destruction as well as its dishonor. The Iraq War, and the way it is being prosecuted, dishonors us in the eyes of the world, and even worse, dishonors us to ourselves.

Respect: Treat people as they should be treated.

Treat the people of the United States as well as the people of Iraq with respect. They deserve to be treated according to their status: if they are prisoners of war, then treat them with the full dignity accorded POWs. If they are criminals, then give them trials. Innocent until proven guilty: we do not lose our values when we step away from our shores.

Selfless Service: Put the welfare of the Nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.

Being a member of IVAW is hard. It is hard to stand up, to devote effort and time to an organization committed to what is right, when your leadership so firmly believes that it is wrong. It's hard to face the intimidation and harassment that many members of the active duty military face when they begin to speak out on what they feel. It's hard to stand up and tell your higher ups that they are committing crimes. But the welfare of the Nation, our continued survival as an honorable country, and the continued survival of the Army depends on some of us standing up, and saying, "Sir, no Sir!" That we will not participate in illegal acts, and we will report them when and where we see them. We will not train our soldiers to commit them, and will train our soldiers to follow the honorable path. And the honorable path now, the hard service, means standing up and speaking the truth, so that legislators can begin to realize it, and bring us home.

Honor: Live up to Army Values

Honor is living up to all the Army Values, but it is even older than that. It is the thing you have when you have nothing else left. It is all you need: it should be the cornerstone of a soldier. It is phrased as living up to all the Army Values, because if you lack even one, you cannot be an honorable soldier. It is the ability to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know you have done all that you can, and that you have not had to reproach yourself for anything.

Our leadership is currently dishonorable. By their bending of the torture legislation to allow what they want to take place, they are attempting to put a stain upon our honor that will take at least a generation to erase. As soon as our soldiers have fulfilled their usefulness to them, leadership shuffles them away, with "personality disorders" instead of PTSD treatment. Benefits are cut, while contractors reach huge rewards. This is not taking care of the people who have given their all to the country. It is dishonorable, and the only way to restore that honor is to stand up against the people who are doing so and will do so again.

Integrity: Do what is right, legally and morally.

The things that the political leadership of this country are trying to do right now are neither legal nor moral. The acceptance of torture, the belief that once Americans go beyond their borders, they no longer have to hold to the beliefs that shaped our nation, 'baiting' with weapons caches, and other such tactics at the very least skirt the fine line of legality: they are definitely not moral. Claiming that it is okay to treat people dishonorably because they are not an organized force fighting against us is simply wrong, as is the argument that they are not citizens and therefore do not deserve the protections of the Constitution. We are the good guys! We do the right thing, even if others don't, and if our leadership does not understand that, it needs to. It needs to pull out of this war, and cease its immoral actions, to bring itself in line with the country's beliefs and principles.

Personal Courage: Face fear, danger, or adversity (physical or moral)

It does not take physical courage to stand up and fight against injustice in this fashion. Most members have not been physically attacked-the cowards who attack people for their beliefs have gone after a father of a dead servicemember instead (Carlos Arredondo). But it does take moral courage. It takes moral courage to stand up for what you know to be true and right, moral courage to say that the country is steering in the wrong direction, and you are committed by your oath to turn it around. It takes moral courage to resist a war that your leadership believes in, or to stand against your entire platoon and state that you will not treat a prisoner with anything less than full dignity. And it takes moral courage to be counted, here, to let people insult you for perceived cowardice, when the truth is that you, like I, may not be against all wars, all places, all times.

But hopefully you, like I, like many committed and dedicated members of the military community, are against this one.

Sunday, I had one of the most profoundly moving  experiences I have ever had.
I  can't say that it was one of the most pleasant; in fact at times it was
very  difficult.  However, all things  considered, I am grateful and honored to
have been a part of the first  "Operation First Casualty" in Los  Angeles.
The name "Operation First Casualty," or "OFC" as  it is called, is an allusion
to the writings of the ancient Greek political  playwright, Aeschylus who said,
"In war, the first casualty is the truth."  Although I'm sure over the
centuries he  has been quoted many times, purportedly the most noted is by former
California  Governor and U.S. Senator Hiram Warren Johnson (1866-1945).  The
supposition of this statement is  that when war occurs, deception by those who
orchestrate the war is absolutely  immediate and essential.  Given the current
state of our nation,  who more than the American people, because of our foreign
and domestic policies,  the horror in  Iraq and the  absolute disregard for
our troops…who more than we should be more aware of and  in agreement with this
idiom?  Because we were lied too, because we  believed the lies, we have been
lead into the darkest hours of our nation's life  when the possibility for
our absolute destruction is real!  "Truth is the first casualty of war"  should
become our new national motto…yet most people don't seem to notice or  care. 

Thus, the importance and timeliness of OFC cannot be denied.  September 11,
2001 was a wake-up call to our nation. We  simple hit the snooze button. 
Allowing a deceptive administration backed by an evil network of  corporations with
a plan for unparalleled financial gains to play on our fears,  we trusted
that what we were being feed was the truth 
and basically did what our "president" told us to  do.  We went back to
shopping.  Hypnotized by ever-present and  overbearing advertising which makes us
believe that we are essentially not okay, we continually buy more than  we can
afford and work more than we should to pay the interest on the credit  cards
that allow us to walk out of the store wearing those clothes that we are  told
if we don't wear, we are worthless.  We eat, drink, smoke, poke, pop, or
purchase anything we can to  perpetuate the state of denial that is necessary for
the continuation of the  status quo.  If we ever stopped to  really look at
what's going on, we would have to accept responsibility...and  nobody wants that!
 
Therefore, The Third Street Promenade was the perfect  location; Americans
doing what they do best.  Now don't get me wrong, I like nice  things and I don'
t begrudge anyone's right to having nice things.  I don't believe there is any
real lack  of anything on the planet except for maybe compassion.  Everybody
who wants to buy Dolce and  Gabana and sit at a nice cafe' for lunch should
have the opportunity to do so…  but what offends me is how we continue to do
these things in a general state of  apathy and complacency with regard to the
occupation of Iraq!  It seems like until people are directly affected, they
couldn't care  less about the 3,496 troops who were killed, the 50,000+ wounded,
the 111 troop  suicides (Those are Department of Defense confirmed suicides. 
While many non-combat "accidental"  deaths are still under investigation, the
actual number is probably nearer to  200.) They couldn't care less about the
near half-trillion dollars this war has  now cost our hard-working tax payers,
the 600,000+ dead Iraqis, the 3.9 Iraqi  refugees and the absolute hell that is
daily life in a nation that never  attacked us.  It's just isn't what 
Americans think about all day.  So  we're bringing the war to them...okay, not the
real war.  In fact when you compare the reality of  war to a bunch of soldiers
and marines walking through the street pretending to  hold rifles, it can be
almost comical.  A few people even laugh when they see us, but most don't.  Most
stand slack-jawed at the prospect  that what they're seeing could even been
real!  With the possible exception of the  residents of New Orleans, Americans 
aren't used to seeing armed members of the military patrolling their streets 
(yet).  And again, we aren't really  armed!  In an instant, people are  able
to realize that what they are witnessing isn't "real."  The "Iraqis" (actually
civilian  volunteers who have offered to work with us in this guerrilla
street theater  performance) are all wearing white T-shirts with orange armbands
which we then  use to blindfold them.  The  onlookers can clearly see that we
are not snatching up civilians out of the  crowd to "bag and tag" them.  Even 
with all this being true, it is still a very upsetting experience for those who
see it.  To hear the people we are  detaining scream and beg is chilling to
anyone who hears it.  The sight of a person being manhandled  to the ground by
someone in military fatigues is not something most of these  witnesses have
ever seen in person.  
We basically ignore the people who watch the action as we  carry out our mock
patrol.  If not  actively involved in apprehending a "detainee," I stood
with my imaginary weapon  leveled at the crowd screaming over and over, "I'm
screaming at you in a  language you don't understand!  You  speak Arabic, I speak
English!  For  all you know I could be screaming about the weather!  All you
know is that I have a weapon and  I am screaming at you!"  They got  it.  
The only  people we really interact with are  our confederates who have
rehearsed the actions with us; but still the effect is  powerful and you can see it
written all over the faces of those who witness  it.  There is a group of
volunteers  who walk alongside us and give out pamphlets explaining what's going
on to  anyone interested.  They let the  people know that we are actual Iraq
War veterans who oppose the war. We got a  myriad of responses.     I heard a
lot of "good for them"  and "they should do more of this."  I did hear one of
the volunteers ask a man, "Do you want to know what's  going on?"  The man's
monosyllabic  response spoke volumes.  He simply  said, "No."  
Actually when I first heard about Operation First Casualty, when other  IVAW
members were doing it in Washington  DC and in New  York, I thought, "But
won't that be too upsetting to the  people...and what if there are kids around?" 
As soon as I became conscious of my  thought, I became conscious of the fact
that even someone like me who has been  to the war is not immune to that kind
of thinking...that it's somehow more  acceptable for us to visit real hell on
the Iraqis for four years now but it is  not okay for Americans to have to
witness some watered down version.  The weapons in  Iraq are real  and the
children know it too.  The  children who were four when we invaded are now eight.
Think of the real life  death and destruction they have had to witness.  What a
crucial four years in a child's  development!  I hate to even imagine  the
effect we've had on them.  Yet I  was worried that the crying child at Third
Street Promenade would be  traumatized.  So when I saw the man  walking away from
the maelstrom of activity with his crying son's face pressed  to his chest, my
fears were realized.  Then I heard a woman say, "Imagine what it's like for
their children  everyday over there" and I knew that even though seeing it was
unpleasant, for  adults and children alike, we had achieved our mission. 
We rehearsed the activities (for clarity and safety) on  Saturday and then
did the action on Sunday.  I have to say I didn't sleep well on  Friday or
Saturday nights.  I don't  want to revisit  Iraq.  While I'm very proud of my
service to  our nation in The Marine Corps, I am not proud to have been a party to
this  cruel occupation.  The thought of  the horrible suffering of these
people that I went to try and help haunts me  daily.  If I could, I would forget 
about it.  Still, I felt ridiculous  in my wariness to take part in OFC just
because my silly emotions were after me  again.  I wanted desperately to sit 
this one out even though it was, after all "just pretend."  I went anyway.  
So many times over the last three years of my activism, since I first  spoke
out publicly against the occupation, I have been blessed to stand  alongside
brave souls who have stood the good fight against injustice for many  years
now, some since before I was born.  Some who marched with Dr. King or Caesar
Chavez.  I always wondered how they kept from  being petrified as they stood in
the face of such powerful oppression.  Now I've been told by those who stood 
with them, they were petrified!  They did it anyway. 
Also, having had the privilege of being cared for and  supported by so many
Vietnam vets who also came home from war to begin another  war of fighting to
bring home those  troops and fighting to get veterans taken care of… shows us,
the Iraq vets, this  is not an easy fight but it is what is right to do.  So
even though I really had rather have  done just about anything, I did it
anyway.  I hoped the other vets just couldn't tell how nervous I was or how much 
dragging those screaming volunteers to their knees made me want to vomit.  Then
it happened.  Just as it has happened over and over  since I first joined up
with Iraq Vets Against the War, when I looked in their  eyes, I saw a
reflection of what I was feeling.  Hell, none of us really wanted to be  there.  But
we
all knew we should be there.  We all are committed to doing everything  we
can to support the troops, deployed and returned.  We all believe that
representative  government is the only real way a nation should be governed.  We all
believe that what is popular is  not always right and what's right is not always
popular and no matter what spin  comes from what white tower in Washington
and how many people out of their own  ignorance believe it...this illegal,
immoral and dangerous occupation must  end.  And we won't stop until it  does.
When the local media found out that we still had plans to  go ahead with OFC
in Los Angeles,  even as vicious repercussions are leveled at other IVAW
members like Adam Kokesh, Liam Madden and Cloy Richards because  of their
involvement in the same kind of actions, they were admitted  surprised.  Off-camera
one
of the  local reporters told me that she couldn't really believe we were
going forward  given how much "hot water" others seemed to be in.  She just must
not understand what kind  of people join our military.  We  don't quit.  We
won't quit.  We don't leave a man stranded when he  comes under fire and we sure
as hell don't give up the mission.  
Cindy Sheehan is wrong when she says that Casey died for  nothing.  When I
stand at Arlington  West and look out over those crosses, I have to believe that
from their deaths  something good will come.  If I  couldn't believe that, I
simply couldn't take one more action in faith for my  country. What if we as a
nation finally learned?  What if, because of this terrible cost  we learned
that this approach to foreign policy is a travesty, that allowing  corporations
to run our country is tantamount to Mussolini's  Italy, that  these brave soul
's commitment to our country and our way of life should never be squandered
as they have under  the Bush Administration?  Even  though there have certainly
been other examples, what if through and by  Iraq we finally  learned this
crucial lesson?  Then  our nation might actually survive.  This "grand
experiment in democracy" may get to continue  experimenting.  We may actually do 
better.  Then it could be argued that blood has  never been shed more purposefully 
from American uniforms and that "these dead shall not have died in vein and
that  government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not
perish from  the earth."  As long as this marine is drawing breath, I will  fight
to make it so and if there was ever any doubt that others share my 
determination, Sunday washed all that away.  I am not  alone.

JEFF KEY

From Jeff Key:

I am an Iraq War vet. This morning, for the first time in a long time, I felt a surge (sorry to use that word) of hope! When it has seemed for so long that no one in any kind of position of power in our government had any lingering attachments to reality, Marine General Peter Pace reaffirmed at least a little of my confidence in our leaders. General Pace is the first Marine to hold the position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff so as a marine, I have always felt proud of our first Marine to hold this position. Yesterday he said, "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way." I sat at my computer alone and let out a loud "Oorah!" Finally we can end this insanity and bring the troops home from Iraq, start taking care of them like they deserve and begin trying to make reparations to Iraqis AND convict the criminals that made this mess! Yes Sir, I was just about jumping for joy... a betrayed patriot relieved...the eternal optimist validated...UNTIL I realized that he was not talking about a corporately motivated war of aggression based completely on lies where we have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in a country that posed no imminent threat to our nation thereby making our nation infinitely more hated than we ever were and exponentially less safe...he was talking about gay people. Glad we've got our priorities straight...did I say straight?


Former Lance Corporal Jeff Key
Iraq War Vet, USMC