|
Conscientious objector guilty of unauthorized absence
A Marine reservist who said he failed to report for duty because he is a conscientious objector was found guilty of unauthorized absence but innocent of desertion Saturday. Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk was sentenced to six months in prison and will receive a bad-conduct discharge, which results in his losing all military benefits, after he gets out of prison. Funkâs rank will be dropped from lance corporal to private, the lowest rank in the Marines, and two-thirds of his pay will be docked for six months. "It seems a bit harsh for the crime," said Stephen Collier, Funkâs lawyer, about the punishment.
He objected to loading cargo??? Funk said he became a conscientious objector after several months of being trained to kill. Funk, who attended anti-war rallies while absent and later announced he was gay, has said that the Marines were trying to make an example of him. Why not, sounds like a well-rounded individual. The Seattle native argued that he did not believe he was going to be required to go to San Diego because those who declare themselves conscientious objectors are usually separated from their unit. If so, he argued, then he would not have had to perform the "important duty." But the Marine prosecutor, Maj. Mike Sayegh, argued that during wartime, any presidential order to report for duty is important. Sayegh told a jury of an officer and three enlisted personnel that the case "is about a kid who thought he could beat the system." Funk testified that he joined the Marines to earn money for college and that he did not think it likely heâd be activated for war. Oops. Posted by: Rafael 2003-09-08 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18450 |