Today I attended a Support Campaign strategy session. During a discussion of talking points and messages for the political campaign, we were brainstorming responses to the argument, "...but they volunteered". Among people who think Canada should not give asylum to US war resisters, this seems to be the most common response.
A war resister at the meeting said, "Yes, I volunteered, but what did I volunteer for? I volunteered to protect and defend my country.
"When someone volunteers - in any area - they volunteer for a certain line of work. The lawyer who volunteered to defend me did not volunteer to shine my shoes or change my son's diaper. A doctor who volunteers to help a wounded person does not volunteer to kill people.
"I volunteered to protect and defend my country, not to advance the political or economic interests of certain people. Nothing that is going on in Iraq is protecting and defending the United States."
The other argument against letting them stay is "they have no balls". As one of the men in the group said, "It's always about testicles with these people."
Adopting that ridiculous equation of testicles with courage, these men and women have more balls than anyone I know.
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