Local hero Ehren Watada speaking in Seattle next Tuesday.
January 26, 2007 – 6:10 pm | by nerd's eye viewUpdate: This event has been canceled.
Lt. Ehren Watada at Plymouth Church
Tuesday, January 30th, 7pm in the SanctuaryJoin us to hear from U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada, the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq. Lt. Watada faces Court Martial and a possible 6 years in prison for his refusal to deploy and for speaking out against a war he believes is illegal.
This event is being sponsored by the Peace Action Group of Plymouth Church. For more information contact Julie Watts in the Church Office - (206) 622-4865 or by email jwatts@plymouthchurchseattle.org
www.plymouthchurchseattle.org
Related links:
- Thank You Ehren Watada
- Officer at Fort Lewis calls Iraq war illegal, refuses order to go
- Disputed article on Wikipedia with lots more links
[tags]Ehren Watada[/tags]
2 Responses to “Local hero Ehren Watada speaking in Seattle next Tuesday.”
By Knox Gardner on Jan 27, 2007 | Reply
I can’t consider this guy a hero. I can’t. Conflicted perhaps. But it does seem very clear to me that one joins the obligation understanding that the role of the professional soldier (and officer) is to go when called to duty. He joined the Army in 2003.
Even though a wide number of our Senators voted to invade Iraq due to the ‘Intelligence”, even then, you, I and thousands of others were poking holes through the inconsistencies and hypocrisy of the war. Was Watada in a little cave?
Listen, we all could use a hero, but this kid? Nope.
By Pam on Jan 28, 2007 | Reply
I dunno Knox, I think you’re being kind of a hard ass. This is a guy who decided he wanted to know more about why he was being mobilized to Iraq. Even that in and of itself is heroic behavior from within the US military, which I don’t think - I can’t know, I’m not a soldier - is known for fostering an environment that asks “why”. Sure, we were all asking, but even Congress couldn’t be bothered to do their homework like Ehren Watada did. And remember, he didn’t say he wouldn’t fight, he offered to go to Afghanistan, a front he supported. I DO think he’s a hero, still.