Happy hunting fellows.
Posted on 12/03/2008 2:34:18 AM PST by crazyhorse691
Activists from several peace groups will go before the Portland City Council today seeking support for making Portland a sanctuary for military resisters -- service members who have gone AWOL to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They hope the City Council will instruct police officers to ignore federal arrest warrants if they make a traffic stop of a soldier absent without leave.
The activists say such a stance is backed by the city's formal opposition to the Iraq war. And, they say, it's in line with the city's withdrawal from the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as its policy prohibiting Portland officers from assisting U.S. immigration agents unless they need emergency backup.
"As a city that's declared itself against the war, we should be supporting soldiers who don't want to go fight," said Kelly Campbell, peace director of the American Friends Service Committee in Portland. "We should be saying it's not our job to be turning them in."
Council meeting
• Portland City Council: 9:30 a.m. today; City Hall, 1221 S.W. Fourth Ave.
Other cities across the country have made similar statements:
Berkeley, Calif.: Last year reaffirmed its Gulf War-era support of conscientious objectors by declaring itself a sanctuary, directing police and other city employees not to help the military arrest or find people who have gone AWOL.
Ithaca, N.Y.: In October passed a resolution making the town a sanctuary that protects war protesters, even those in uniform, from arrest by local law enforcement. The measure doesn't specifically protect AWOL soldiers. Campbell said her group collected 3,000 signatures in support of the idea at street fairs and other community events over the summer. The activists have been meeting separately with council members but have found no champion for their cause, she said.
"This is a way to get in front of all of them at the same time and let them know we're serious about this," she said.
Commissioner Randy Leonard said he thinks the proposal is inappropriate.
"I think it's a mistake to be in Iraq for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the president lied to us about the reasons for going to war," Leonard said. "But to call for anarchy in the ranks and declare Portland as a free zone would be illegal. I like doing things like electing a new president to change policies, which we have done."
The peace activists are listed to speak under the "communications" section of today's council agenda. Such communications are usually limited to three minutes, and the council rarely comments on them during the meeting.
Tens of thousands of service members are AWOL, and it's a much bigger problem than the military can handle, said Bill Galvin, counseling coordinator for the Center on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C. The Marine Corps goes after absentees more aggressively than other branches, but the effort is minimal, he said.
"They do not generally go out and track people down," he said. "The main way they get folks is if they are busted for traffic violations."
The proposed policy wouldn't keep military police or federal agents from coming to Portland to look for deserters. Still, as a practical matter, it could have a big effect on people who are AWOL and living here.
"This is an opportunity for the citizens of Portland and the City Council to support the soldiers who are coming back and their right to speak out," said Dan Shea of Veterans for Peace, who first proposed the idea.
Shea said he enlisted with the Marines and spent most of 1968 in Vietnam, where he was exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange. That resulted in his diabetes, he said.
Shea said he never supported the Vietnam War but felt obligated to serve. When he came home, he felt betrayed by the country, saying the initial reasons for going to war were nothing but lies. The same thing is going on today, he said.
Among today's veterans, Shea said he's found people who can no longer support the war because of what they participated in or witnessed.
"These are people of conscience," he said. "They served for what is the best of our country -- the ability to speak out -- and now they are being persecuted for that."
Benjamin Lewis could soon be one of them. The 23-year-old served two tours with the Marines in Iraq and was honorably discharged in 2007. He has been notified that he will be recalled in April or May as part of the Individual Ready Reserve but has vowed not to go because he's opposed to the "open-ended war of aggression."
Because of his language skills, Lewis said, he was often employed as a translator between U.S. forces and Iraqis. "Most Iraqis thought we were there for oil and business interests, and a lot of them thought it was a Christian crusade against Muslims," he said.
Lewis said he will testify today as the only Corvallis member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The Oregon chapter was founded last month.
"GI resistance is a very important part of questioning military legitimacy," he said. "There's a prevailing notion in America that no matter what the military does, it has to have a firm moral purpose. That is something that is rarely questioned, but it's something that needs to be questioned."
-- Mark Larabee; marklarabee@news.oregonian.com
Question to any Freepers from Oregon: Is the whole state like this, or is this just Portland?
It’s hard for me to even comment on the pure insanity coming out of Multnomah County anymore.
Mostly just Portland and Eugene (with a few hippie enclaves like Ashland). The rest of the state is fairly conservative (or at least center-right). We used to be a pretty libertarian/individualist state (as you would expect the descendants of pioneers to be) until we were overrun by Californians.
It’s mostly just Portland. While there are other pockets of craziness, even Eugene is not that insane.
A couple of more miles and they would’ve landed on the Mecca of AWOL cowards...Canada.
Happy hunting fellows.
Get out while you still can.
Land in the wilds of Oregon is still dirt cheap.
And regarding the AWOL ers..give them a group home in the middle of NE 84 (I believe that is the right area of ghetto warfare) and let them deal with that.
My heart does go out to those who in-list and have PTS but truth is allot of us have lived through carnage and in humane times but we learn to cope and keep live in faith.
I do not recognize Multnomah County as part of Oregon.
The architecture of Portland is awesome but walking the streets all I smell is old urine and lost souls wondering about matter of fact when I went to Portland for a few days I hired a conceal to carry bodyguard and he even suggested we stay off Max and walk or taxi it. To be safe.
Recently went to OHSU and I was like whoa...security and android like staff and finally we got in to the medical staff or the core as I call it to medical care as we once knew it pre 9/11.
Hey remember that guy who was arrested by Homeland Security the Lawyer dude who was suspected of being part of a terror cell (yeah like the ones who worked for that Mayor Lady) was I hearing wrong or did Obama assign him to a WH staff position? It was a blip I may have heard wrong.
Question to any Freepers from Oregon: Is the whole state like this, or is this just Portland?
Just about every big city off of I-5 is yuk.
Eastern Oregon and the Coast is awesome.
I have been a coastal forrest dweller 20 plus years (15 min. from any city) and we are all living on acres apart and funny but all ex Californians.
I even have one neighbor whos dad used to be the veggie vendor at the small business I worked at as a teen ager.
We can all talk about where we came from East Bay Area but none of us have ever been inclined to go back for even a visit.
Sad thing is having known all these folks for so long some of them have left the Planet and are now with God.
I miss them. Even some of our Political mentors have left.
Like every state I suppose you have rural Gods Country and the putrid of big city life.
Yeah about Eugene but that was a great Civil War game.
We are Ducks.
A kid on the team big big dude is from the little town in Cali that I was raised in (mini Oakland and Obamamites).
But that one kid could run and had the grace of a balarina on those feet. I fell asleep (turkey food induced) so did not see the whole game.
Question I have is where do the Ducks go next like what Bowl and when? (the only football I watch is the Civil War and Superbowl, not a big sports nut like I was in my youth).
give them a group home in the middle of NE 84 (I believe that is the right area of ghetto warfare)
Hey We have Lars Larson. : )
And I want to stop any federal money from going to these “sanctuary” cities.
It’s Brandon not Brian, sorry about that...and I haven’t turned up anything pertaining to any connection to Obama...yet.
Hmmm No news about the latest Max murders and crime.
Hell you have to carry a concealed weapon with all the thugs riding free on the Max Drug line.
Remember Lars talking to the Max spokesperson?
The security guards on the line are not allowed to intervene in any crime. So we are paying men to wear a uniform and be a stand by on looker???
Yep thats Potty Land.
The medical staff who came to OHSU (money up front) cant wait to get the hell out of there.
We are even looking into Peace Harmony for health care (Catholic practicing life sanctioned) Hosp.
Those of us who have severe disabilities as in Quadroplegics are sick of the lack of care we get.
And it has nothing to do with health insurance.
But I here Peace Harmony supports our right to Life.
We know a few Docs who support our will to thrive but most Hosp admin. policy is we are not welcomed.
We all are learning to not get ill.
Remember the old saying if you go in you dont come out well there is some truth to that.
Oh and OHSU they take pay out of the staffs income up front and give them bus passes.
Most cant afford the parking rates so they bike in or ride the bus.
Yeah Portland sucks. But beautiful old architecture.
Commissioner Randy Leonard doesn’t read much, or look much further beyond his own nose.
Hey We have Lars Larson. : )
Commissioner Randy Leonard doesn’t read much, or look much further beyond his own nose.
And we also have Mrs. Obamas brother as coach for the Beavers basketball or close to it.
Cant knock him for that though, being the brother in Law to Pimp boy.
No disrespect to POTUS but I see Obama and think smelly rear fumes and Huggy from Starsky and Hutch.
Huggy was way cooler.
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