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The Underground Railroad For Deserters...
Hat tip to Emperor Misha, The Hammer of The Idiotarians, orver at nicedoggie.net . Veterans should secure any loose objects within arms' reach before reading. Slightly EFL'd.
Too young to buy a beer, but old enough to die for their country. This irony is not lost on Americans who have chosen to flee the US in search of refuge in Canada. For some it's a race against time before the army figures out they are gone.
Trust me, they know.
The story for many of these deserters is the same: a life in the military appeared to be a good choice at first, not to mention a quick and easy way to further their education. But few expected that they would be sent overseas in very hostile conditions such as Iraq.
Never ceases to amaze me how these geniuses miss things like guns, uniforms, attacks on the US that leave thousands dead...
Most who decide to run away do so because they don't want to end up dead or, if not killed by the enemy, then driven crazy and ultimately shooting themselves.
It's true, you know. I've been crazy ever since I set foot in Vietnam. So far I've shot myself 11 times. With my clothes off I look like a Swiss cheese with feet...
Sandwiched between Mexico to the south and Canada to the north, the vast majority choose the latter for their escape. There are a number of reasons for this, mostly because of the cultural similarities and the ease by which they can cross the border. Yet for some even the relatively open trek up to Canada is not that easy. Americans rarely travel outside their own country, so a trip to Canada is daunting to many.
Most Americans don't speak Canadian, y'know. Many have never even tasted a fried beaver tail...
Some have found assistance on the Internet, including former soldiers who will help those in desperate circumstances to escape. Although there are many similarities between Vietnam and Iraq,
The first one being that there ARE no similarities
one main difference is that those in the American military who are now AWOL are, in fact, volunteers. Even so, those seeking refuge in Canada still feel that they shouldn?t have to pay with their lives for making a mistake or, more precisely, their government's mistake. After 9/11 the number of volunteers for the American military rose substantially. Moreover, most American soldiers didn't have qualms about initially serving in Afghanistan. At the time, they felt that they were avenging an attack on their own country. However, with Iraq the situation is much different. Unlike Afghanistan, the resistance is much bigger. Also, while news from Afghanistan has more or less subsided, the Iraqi conflict lingers. Americans traditionally like their wars short and sweet; when they are long and drawn out, with more and more casualties and the prospect of defeat, as in Vietnam, American soldiers and the general public tend to revolt against their own government.
That's why we have the Democrat party...
Crossing over the border into Canada is not particularly difficult for Americans seeking to flee their own country. At some small border crossings, there is only a Canadian border guard asking a few routine questions. At other larger checking points, such as at Niagara Falls, the traffic between the US and Canada is so routine that often it's enough for an American to claim that they are crossing over to see a concert or a sporting event. For most Americans on the run, the alternative to fleeing to Canada is to lie low in the US and hope they are not caught. But for some the experience is nerve-wreaking. Prison awaits any American who goes AWOL and is caught.
And trust me, deserters in military prisons tend to be the prom queens.. Given the deplorable state of US prisons, it's not something war resisters look forward to. For most, going to jail as a conscientious objector isn't even an option, especially at such a relatively young age.
..even though that is the one honorable and respected means of getting out of combat...oh wait, you really have to BE a concientous objector, not a coward.
One they get to Canada, however, an American refugee's troubles aren't over. They are still considered illegal immigrants and don't have any legal status for being in Canada, which means legally they aren't allowed to work. Some of the lawyers representing Americans who have already escaped to freedom in Canada think that the chances of these refugees being able to stay is quite good, given the fact that Canadians don't like George Bush nor his war very much. Likewise, the political implications of sending back an American who has gone AWOL are great, for the Canadian government isn't going to be able to say the war is illegal and Canada won't support it, on the one hand, but Canada will send back to the US those who object to the war, on the other. To make matters worse, the new Canadian government of Paul Martin, unlike his predecessor Jean Chretien, has publicly stated its desire to change course and be more friendly with the US on foreign policy. This could mean that the young men and women who flee to Canada to escape military service in the US may be treated more harshly than in the past.
...Gee, what a frickin' shame..
In the end, it will take months or even years before a decision on a refugee's application is taken. And even after that, there are chances for an appeal, which would then extend their temporary status for a further several months or years.
In other words, just like the bureaucracy back home, but with better beer... Ironically, bureaucratic red tape is a blessing in disguise: the entire process may be just long enough for a government to come into power in the US, one which will take back and pardon those who had fled their country for having followed their conscience.
Over our dead bodies.
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-04-07
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=29920