Hell no, we won't go to Afghanistan! Vets & active duty military - new campaign (pic heavy) [View all]

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Our Lives, Our Rights

Our Lives, Our Rights is a March Forward! campaign led by active-duty troops, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and war resisters whose mission is to reach-out to and educate U.S. service members about their rights, help exercise those rights and advocate for those rights. Among these rights is the right to be a Conscientious Objector to war and refuse deployment to Afghanistan.







Military deaths, suicides lead to 'opt-out' campaign

"Our Lives, Our Rights" aims to provide U.S. service members with information about their legal rights, in particular their right to refuse deployment. It is premised on the belief that thousands of U.S. service members already qualify as Conscientious Objectors, or qualify to be exempt from deployment for mental health reasons, but are unaware of or afraid to exercise those rights.

"Our Lives, Our Rights" will organize U.S. service members, veterans, military families and supporters to reach out to active-duty troops with the information they need to avert deployment or military service, and provide support to those exercising those rights. The campaign will also make public U.S. troops who choose to take a stand, and produce educational literature on why U.S. troops should not deploy to Afghanistan.

Additionally, the campaign will seek to give legal help and a voice to service members being mistreated by their chain of command, who are AWOL, who claim to have experienced sexual harassment or anti-LGBT bigotry, who are battling the mental health system or medical discharge process, or who want to expose war crimes.

"After two deployments to Iraq, I saw the reality of the war, and had the moral epiphany that I could no longer take part in them,” said campaign co-founder Fort Lewis Army Infantry Staff Sergeant Kevin Baker. “When I received orders for my third combat deployment, I simply said 'no.' I was honorably discharged with full benefits."


Snips from the Our Lives, Our Rights statements page with links to the articles for each:

Washington cuts families’ heat to fuel Afghan war
Washington prioritizes an endless, unpopular war over the human rights of working families.
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/washington-cuts-families.html|

Pentagon brags about drop in troop deaths after deadliest month in Afghanistan
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/pentagon-brags-about-drop-in.html

Bloodshed far from over in Iraq and Afghanistan
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/pentagon-brags-about-drop-in.html

Active-duty soldier: “I will not go to war again”
Specialist Danny Birmingham learned first-hand what the war in Iraq is all about. Now he's refusing to take part in the Pentagon's wars ever again.
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/active-duty-soldier-i-will.html


Troop morale plummets in a war without purpose
Soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan are suffering the highest rates of psychological problems since 2005. Similarly, troop morale is down the drain.
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/troop-morale-plummets-in-a.html


Demand justice for SSG Jared Hagemann

Staff Sergeant Jared Hagemann, an Army Ranger in 2/75th Ranger Regiment at Ft. Lewis, Wash., was found dead from suicide just weeks before he was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan—for a 9th combat tour.
http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/campaign/our-lives-our-rights/statements/demand-justice-for-ssg-jared.html

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And so much more at the link.