BERKELEY, CALIF.
Calls for unconditional amnesty for military resisters
By
Dee Knight
Published Apr 9, 2010 9:14 PM
In the first action of its type during the current U.S. wars in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Berkeley, Calif., City Council on March 9 passed
a resolution entitled, “Universal and Unconditional Amnesty for Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan War Military Resisters and Veterans Who Acted In
Opposition to the War for Matters of Conscience,” according to a report
from Courage to Resist.
“Amnesty” means that any charges or remaining punishment are
officially “forgotten.” “Unconditional” means no
strings attached. “Universal” means it would apply to all
convictions or pending charges related to resistance to or refusal to serve in
the current U.S. wars, as well as going absent without leave.
This amnesty would include all veterans with less than honorable discharges for
such resistance. The call adds that such veterans should have their discharges
automatically upgraded to honorable, and that they should be entitled to all
benefits.
Bob Meola, Berkeley peace and justice commissioner who wrote the original draft
of the resolution, stated, “I hope this resolution will serve as a model
and inspire cities and towns across the United States to pass similar
resolutions and ignite a movement which will result in Universal and
Unconditional Amnesty for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan war resisters and
veterans.
“The troops who have had the courage to resist have been traumatized
enough. They have followed their consciences and deserve healing and support
and appreciation from people everywhere. The GI Resistance movement is growing.
Its members are heroes and sheroes and should be treated as such when they are
welcomed back into civilian society.”
The new resolution deepens the city’s anti-war commitment, which in 2007
made Berkeley a “sanctuary city” for military
resisters and draft registration resisters.
First demanded during war on Vietnam
To end punishment of U.S. resisters to the Vietnam war, the newsletter of U.S.
war resisters in Canada at that time, AMEX/Canada, in 1973 was first to
formulate the demand for universal unconditional amnesty. The demand became the
focus of a broad campaign based on an alliance of exiled war resisters,
anti-war veterans and active-duty GIs, with strong support from pacifist, civil
liberties and religious groups.
The campaign featured bold defiance of government efforts to punish resisters,
who would “surface” at anti-war conferences, political conventions
and congressional hearings — most often unannounced — demonstrating
widespread support for resistance and amnesty.
This campaign induced President Jimmy Carter to grant unconditional amnesty to
resisters following the U.S. War in Vietnam, in January 1977. Carter felt the
pressure after one exiled resister, Fritz Efaw, surfaced at the 1976 National
Democratic Convention as part of the “Democrats Abroad” delegation,
and was nominated for vice president by Gold Star mother Louise Ransom (whose
son was killed in Vietnam combat). Disabled Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, author
of “Born on the Fourth of July,” seconded the nomination, and
stunned the delegates into total silence followed by a standing ovation.
Amnesty for all!
In the wake of last month’s gigantic demonstration in Washington, D.C.,
by immigrants and their supporters calling for full and complete legalization
for all people in this country without official documentation, the new call for
amnesty for war resisters should simply extend to include both groups.
The same is true for sanctuary — a type of solidarity that has been
extended for decades to both groups by churches, unions, cities and
individuals. The concept of sanctuary actually emerged in the Middle Ages, when
churches often had parallel power with civil authorities. A person or group
could seek protection in a church from oppressive authorities and thus avoid
capture and punishment.
Today, just as in the past, the fight for amnesty and sanctuary is a battle for
the right to resist unjust governmental power. And it is a way for progressive
people to exercise their own power and force an end to militarism and
racism.
For regular updates on the GI resistance, see
www.CourageToResist.org.
Dee Knight was an editor of AMEX/Canada from 1968 to 1974 and served as a
coordinator of the National Council for Universal Unconditional Amnesty from
1974 to 1975.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
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