| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front |
| Marine Says He’s Conscientious Objector |
| 2003-04-02 |
| The Clueless Wonder of the Day With his sister carrying his duffel bag and his mother holding his hand, a 20-year-old Marine reservist surrendered to the military Tuesday and declared himself a conscientious objector. His mommy held his hand. Here's a kid with "issues". Wearing camouflage fatigues, Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk turned himself in at the locked gates of the Marine Corps reserve center where he was assigned, weeks after refusing to report when called up to active duty. "Ultimately, it's my fault for joining in the first place," said Funk, who didn't show up when his unit was deployed to Camp Pendleton. "It wasn't as well thought out as it should've been. It was about me being depressed and wanting direction in life." Again, "issues"? Funk said he's attended every major San Francisco Bay area anti-war rally since finishing his military training last fall. He insisted his decision had nothing to do with the war in Iraq. Oh, I'll bet it didn't... Those applying for a conscientious discharge must submit a detailed letter explaining how their feelings have changed since joining the military. Then there are interviews with a military chaplain, a psychiatrist and an investigating officer. The final decision is made by top military commanders. Applications for conscientious discharges always increase during wartime. There were 111 granted during the 1991 Gulf War. Only 28 were granted last year, military officials said. "The Marine Corps understands there are service members opposed to the war," said Capt. Patrick O'Rourke, spokesman for Funk's unit, adding that he hadn't received Funk's application yet. "He'll be treated fairly." Funk, who grew up in Washington state, enlisted when he was 19 and living on his own for the first time. He said he caved in to pressure from a recruiter who capitalized on his vulnerability. Yep, don't blame me. Mean Mr. Recruiting Sgt. sucked me in. "They don't really advertise that they kill people," Funk said. "I didn't really realize the full implications of what I was doing and what it really meant to be in the service as a reservist."Funk said he began doubting his fitness for military service during basic training last spring when he felt uncomfortable singing cadence calls that described violence and screaming "Kill, kill, kill." Has this kid been in a bubble for 20 years? They're MARINES. Did he ever here of them before he signed up? Has he heard they actually have been in one or two wars? Funk's father, Robert Funk, enlisted in the Navy reserves and was called up to active duty in 1970 to serve in Vietnam. He said he wishes his son hadn't joined in the first place. "I don't think he realized how close we were to getting involved in this conflict," Robert Funk said from his home in Everson, Wash. "I thought his views didn't line up with military service and he should wait and really look at it." Did you tell him that dad? Doesn't sound like dad thinks the kid's wrapped too tight either. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #20 Maybe hes transfering to the French foreign legion. |
| Posted by: Brew 2003-04-02 23:11:34 |
| #19 Gay? Robert Schimmel had a great line about that. "I told the sergeant at the induction center I was Gay. He said "Oh yea? Give me a blow job and I'll give you a deferment". He lied. |
| Posted by: Thane of Cawdor 2003-04-02 22:17:32 |
| #18 Anyone remember the DD Form 214 spin number for coward? |
| Posted by: Don 2003-04-02 21:56:14 |
| #17 FrankG. HAHAHA! Man, he's got all his bases covered, huh? No Iraqi ever called me honky. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-04-02 21:38:23 |
| #16 Mom must be really proud to have a son who's not as much of a man as someone named Jessica. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-04-02 20:57:54 |
| #15 the latest? on NPR just a half hour ago they said he was claiming to be gay |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-02 20:22:09 |
| #14 Dr Weevil-- Maybe his mommy or sister took the test for him, too. |
| Posted by: Former Russian Major 2003-04-02 20:11:28 |
| #13 Funk's |
| Posted by: Dr. Weevil 2003-04-02 16:54:45 |
| #12 "This is my rifle, This is my gun. This one's for WHAT??? Crap, I signed up for the *fun*!!" |
| Posted by: Samma-lamma 2003-04-02 11:48:00 |
| #11 Economic conscription? I fail to see how a lack of money forces someone to sign up for military service. Hell, if some bum wants a damn handout, why not go to San Francisco and panhandle like all the rest of them? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-04-02 11:40:05 |
| #10 Teresa Panepinto of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors in Oakland, which runs the hot line, says in today's mostly volunteer military there is "economic conscription" as young people join the forces for job skills or tuition -- not to fight wars. Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors in Oakland Central Committee and Oakland, you just can't make this stuff up. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-04-02 10:42:24 |
| #9 Does "johnny dumbass" realize that being a CO doesnt relieve him of his duties, just reclassifies him into non combatant roles, such as medical corpsman. So instead of shooting people in a combat zone, he gets to help put them back together. I loved his statement " The marines to advertise that they actually expect you to kill people". He makes it sound like he meant to go into the carnival cruise lines office and walked into the marine recruiting office instead. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2003-04-02 10:41:44 |
| #8 Funk said he's attended every major San Francisco Bay area anti-war rally since finishing his military training last fall. He insisted his decision had nothing to do with the war in Iraq. As the old saying goes, "Monkey see, monkey do." "They don't really advertise that they kill people," Funk said. "I didn't really realize the full implications of what I was doing and what it really meant to be in the service as a reservist." Translation: Duuuuhhhhhh..... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-04-02 10:22:19 |
| #7 Step right up, son. We got a SPECIAL prize for you... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-02 09:59:20 |
| #6 Hopefully a new definition, as a verb: Funked (v) - to be imprisoned, fined and dishonorably discharged for being a stupid pussy |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-02 09:44:44 |
| #5 What a wet end this punk is, he will probably make a great college professor, or democratic candidate for president... |
| Posted by: Wills 2003-04-02 09:30:50 |
| #4 Poor misguided young man (wiping away tears) What? Air? Nobody told me I have to breathe! |
| Posted by: john 2003-04-02 09:00:57 |
| #3 Probably another "victim" of the anti-gun, keep-no-score, mushy-headed public education system. Even the most obtuse has a clue about what the Marines do in war time after going through basic. |
| Posted by: Doug De Bono 2003-04-02 08:32:30 |
| #2 What did he think the word "Armed" stood for in the Armed Forces of the US. What did he think US Marine stood for? This is just a clueless dork. |
| Posted by: Jim 2003-04-02 08:08:29 |
| #1 From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Main Entry: funk Pronunciation: 'f&[ng]k Date: circa 1739 intransitive senses : to become frightened and shrink back transitive senses 1 : to be afraid of : DREAD 2 : to shrink from undertaking or facing |
| Posted by: Patrick Phillips 2003-04-02 07:52:27 |