let them stay letters in the toronto star

In today's Toronto Star, there are six letters in support of US war resisters in Canada - and none against. Thank you to each and every one of you who wrote a letter in support. Whether or not it was published, it made a difference, because the more letters the paper receives, the greater their obligation to print some.

Deporting war resisters un-Canadian

Re:War resister ordered out, Jan. 8

Parliament votes to let American war resisters stay, yet Stephen Harper is expected to force more to go back to the U.S. this week and next. Even the Americans have realized the war in Iraq is wrong. Why do we still follow the Bush/Cheney lead? As an ex-American who came as a Vietnam War resister, I am appalled at what we have become.

Mary T. Hynes, Toronto

I protest the government's deportations of the U.S. war resisters who have sought sanctuary in Canada. These actions are against the will of Canadians for several reasons: Canada has always provided refuge for war resisters; the Canadian Parliament passed a motion in the summer of 2008 to allow the war resisters to stay; and the majority of Canadians believe the war resisters should be provided sanctuary in Canada.

The media is the first and last line of defence for the public and the sovereignty of our nation. Please do all that you can to bring attention to these unjustified deportations.

Andrew Arrigo, Woodbridge

Canada and the U.S. were once havens for refugees from centuries of conflict in Europe and Asia. Many young men came here to avoid conscription during the Vietnam War, which was based on a huge Cold War red scare and a cooked up rationale, just as the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been "cooked." It is a sad day when Canada's federal police and courts act as agents for the Bush regime and deport conscientious objectors to those tragic farces in the Middle East. If they want to suck up to their "friends" south of the border why don't they recruit Canadian "volunteers" to join the various mercenary "security" organizations that provide about half of the manpower for America's military empire? At least they would be paid well for risking their lives for a false cause.

Malcolm Levin, Toronto

I have had the good fortune to meet and get to know several of the American soldiers who have come north because they refused to occupy Iraq. Some are now threatened with deportation to near certain jail sentences. They are ordinary people who have made very difficult decisions at great personal cost to refuse to participate in a blatant war of aggression that was condemned the world over. They represent the best of us and I can only hope that I would have the same courage as them in similar circumstances. The world will be a more peaceful place when more people follow their noble example of non violent resistance to wars of conquest based on lies. Canada can and must encourage this by letting them stay.

John Dimond, Toronto

I am writing in support of the U.S. war resisters the Conservative government of Canada wants to deport. These people object to the illegal and immoral wars that their country, the U.S., is carrying out in the guise of "the war on terror." I would like the Canadian government to do the right thing and let the war resisters stay in Canada and encourage as many U.S. deserters as possible to come and seek asylum here as possible. Perhaps this will help bring peace across the world.

Arshad Khan, Montreal

There is already a political precident in Canada to accept U.S. war resisters dating as far back as the 1700s when we accepted United Empire Loyalists. In the 1860s we accepted civil war resisters, and in the 1960s, opponents of the Vietnam war. This Canadian trend should now continue for the Rivera families and other war resisters.

On June 3, 2008, the Canadian Parliament voted in favour of allowing Iraq war resisters to seek permanent resident status in Canada. This non-binding motion called for the creation of a special government program to, "allow conscientious objectors and their families ... who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations to apply for permanent resident status." A total of 137 MPs from the Liberal party, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois voted in favour of the motion, while 110 Conservative MPs voted against. While the motion was passed by a majority in Parliament, the minority Conservative government under Stephen Harper has yet to enact it.

Resisters face prison time and felony convictions if deported to stand trial in the United States under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A poll released by Angus Reid last summer showed that almost two-thirds of Canadians want U.S. Iraq war resisters to stay in Canada; while another recent poll showed 82 per cent of Canadians oppose the Iraq war. Historical precedent marks it. Our Parliament voted for it. Our public wants it.

The message is simple: Stop the deportation of Iraq war resisters.

Krystalline Kraus, Toronto

I hope you're all making those phone calls!