forward... Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Thanks to all of you who have signed the statement: Refuse to Fight; Refuse to Kill. Thanks to all of you who have considered signing but for reasons of your own have decided not to. Bear with us, as we try to continue this process and project. Below is the list of people who have signed to date. You are in good company. Some of the signers are already distributing the statement at local bases. We encourage any of you who can to do likewise. Dorothy Day and Jonah House will be meeting early in the week to discuss ways to publicize the statement: press conference, internet distribution, a newspaper ad, for example. We are open to more ideas. Below is the statement as it stands and the list of signers. Please let us know any further thoughts you might have... Brothers and Sisters in the Military: "Refuse to Fight! Refuse to Kill!" You are being ordered to war by a President who was never elected, who has never fought in a war, and who is saying that it is acceptable to use nuclear weapons. You are being ordered to war in the footsteps of veterans, who, more than 10 years ago, were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Many of those vets returned with severe and unacknowledged illnesses. Many gave birth to severely deformed children. Many were abandoned by the Veterans Administration. You are being ordered to war by the most powerful nation on earth. You are being ordered to war by a nation with the most destructive weapons ever conceived, developed, deployed or used. You are being ordered to war by a nation whose self-acknowledged posture is that of world domination, mastery, control. This nation can have no moral justification for war. We, the undersigned, are convinced that war is the greatest evil on earth. We believe that humankind must end war, or war will end humankind, and, in fact, all of creation. Our convictions have driven us time and again to the Pentagon, White House and Congress in acts of civil resistance to war. Now, we bring our plea to you, sisters and brothers, in the armed forces. Refuse to kill. Refuse the order to go to war. Leave the military before it is too late. We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage. There are groups established for the express purpose of counseling and supporting military resisters. To find out about your right to conscientiously object to war call: GI Rights Hotline, 1-800-394-9544 (or 1-800 fyi 95gi) As you consider this plea, we ask that you reflect: Is non-cooperation more difficult than fighting in war? Is non-cooperation more difficult than being a pawn of corporate greed? Is non-cooperation more difficult than living with a violated conscience? Is non-cooperation more difficult than living with the poisons of war in your body and spirit? Wrong is easy. Right is difficult and long. Do what your heart says is right. We knowingly and willingly make this plea to you in violation of 18 USC Sec. 1381 and 2387 (see below). We knowingly and willingly embrace some of your risk by urging you to refuse duty in the U.S. military. We plead with you, as Bishop Oscar Romero pleaded with Salvadoran troops: "When you hear the words of a man telling you to kill, remember instead the words of God: 'Thou shalt not kill!' No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God...In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much and whose laments cry out to heaven, I beseech you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression!'" If you choose to leave the military, please know that our hearts and homes are open to you. Contact: Jonah House (410-233-6238 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]) or Dorothy Day Catholic Worker (202-882-9649) (text of footnote which is the text of the codes violated by signers) 18 USC (United States Code) Section 1381. Enticing desertion and harboring deserters, Whoever entices or procures, or attempts or endeavors to entice or procure any person in the Armed Forces of the United States, or who has been recruited for service therein, to desert therefrom, or aids any such person in deserting or in attempting to desert from such service; or Whoever harbors, conceals, protects, or assists any such person who may have deserted from such service, knowing him to have deserted therefrom, or refuses to give up and deliver such person on the demand of any officer authorized to receive him - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. Section 2387. Activities affecting armed forces generally (a) Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States: (1) advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States; or (2) distributes or attempts to distribute any written or printed matter which advises, counsels, or urges insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. (b) For the purposes of this section, the term "military or naval forces of the United States" includes the Army of the United States, the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve of the United States; and, when any merchant vessel is commissioned in the Navy or is in the service of the Army or the Navy, includes the master, officers, and crew of such vessel. Section 2387. Activities affecting armed forces generally (a) Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States: (1) advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States; or (2) distributes or attempts to distribute any written or printed matter which advises, counsels, or urges insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. (b) For the purposes of this section, the term "military or naval forces of the United States" includes the Army of the United States, the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve of the United States; and, when any merchant vessel is commissioned in the Navy or is in the service of the Army or the Navy, includes the master, officers, and crew of such vessel. SIGNERS Gary Ashbeck, Jonah House Sr. Diane Bardell, G.N.S.H. Steve Barrett Dr. Rosalie Bertell, G.N.S.H. Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Bob Bossied, S.C.J. Fr. Roy Bourgeois, M.M. Lauren C. Cannon, Voices in the Wilderness Corienne Carey Fr. Frank Cordero Susan Crane, Jonah House Fr. John Dear, S.J. Sean Donahue Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, D.C. Jackie Downing Edward Dyer Leonor Esguerra Every Church a Peace Church Rev. Frank Fortkamp Dr. Peter Gathje Jack Gilroy Grand Rapids Chapter of Don't Waste Michigan Fr. John Grathwohl Bishop Tom Gumbleton Jean & Joe Gump John Harris Hartford Catholic Worker Martha S. Hayward House of Grace Catholic Worker Barbara Huber, S.C. Lana & Steve Jacobs Jonah House Fr. Stephen Kelly, S.J. Ed Kinane Stephen Kobasa Bob & Tess Koenig Janell E & Gary G. Kohls Robert Krall Katherine Krolczyk Art Laffin, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Johathan Leavitt Eric LeCompte Elizabeth McAlister, Jonah House Joe Morton Retta Murphy Ched Myers David Naar Bob Neveln, Assoc. Prof of Computer Science and Math Ruth O'Neil Gil Ott Carol Parker David Partridge, Co-chair, Clergy Against Nuclear Attack (CANA) Peter Maurin Center, D.C. Beth Preheim, Bill Quigly, Law Professor, Loyola Univ. New Orleans KimRedigan, Catholic Mother and Teacher Jerry Reitman Mary Sprong St. Francis Catholic Worker, Columbia Missouir St. Isaac of Nineveh Gift of tEars Catholic Worker Brian Terrell Sr. Elizabeth Walters, I.H.M. Jamie Walters Dr. Fred Wilcox Rev. William Wylie Kellerman