What will decent people in the military do?

We’re having more discussion on what the U.S. government will do in coming months as:

Biden unleashed a flurry of aggression which

allowed/encouraged Ukraine to fire ATACMS long-range missiles into Russia
allowed/encouraged Ukraine to place land mines, a long-term danger to civilians
once again, directed another U.S. veto of a ceasefire resolution for Gaza

Trump, the incoming commander in chief promises

to deport millions by declaring a domestic emergency, and mobilizing the military
that he will end Israel’s war on Gaza “quickly,” with the implication not of a truce, but of complete destruction and removal of Palestinians. He said repeatedly that Israel should “finish the job” and destroy Hamas.

Trump says he will be ready “day one” to order the National Guard and active duty military to deport millions from the U.S. It’s not as if there is no history of the U.S. using the military domestically including mobilization against political protest in our lifetimes for short periods.

But its activation to move large groups of people under force within the country would be a sharp change. Iraq war veteran Rory Fanning posted this Friday, which includes interviews with Lyle Rubin and Brittany Ramos DeBarros, both of whom are speakers with We Are Not Your Soldiers: Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan Can’t Happen If US Military Members Resist It.
Brittany told Rory:

In the coming year, military personnel will face serious moral crossroads under a commander-in-chief who openly mocks the rule of law and constitution …The idea that a president would unleash the U.S. military on our neighborhoods to round up our hardworking neighbors is disgusting. Troops have a responsibility to refuse illegal orders and a duty to resist immoral ones. It’s in these moments where we have something to lose that we decide what our values really mean to us.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on all of the above.

We Are Not Your Soldiers NEEDS YOU!

We are receiving more requests for speakers in classrooms than ever. Your donations cover stipends for speakers’ travel, child care & other expenses. We’re sharing our October report below and will soon have more to report.

We Are Not Your Soldiers began October with a visit to a totally on-line class at a college in Queens. Joy Damiani presented to the students, sharing her experiences in the Army in Iraq and responding to their questions.

At a private NYC college Air Force veteran Joe Urgo spoke about his experiences in Vietnam and showed a video of the 1971 Vietnam Winter Soldiers hearings which he helped organize. This is one of the heartfelt notes we received following the visit. You can read others here.

Thank you, We Are Not Your Soldiers, for the powerful and meaningful presentation to our class. I was previously unaware of the effects and trauma individuals face while entering the military and the immediate desensitization the military puts young people through to operate more violent tactics. The video sharing of the horrible things soldiers were encouraged to do to incite violence and create a dangerous mob mentality was genuinely terrifying. The thoughtful words spoken and understanding of the work We Are Not Your Soldiers put into ending war and helping those in the military to rethink their reasoning for joining truly inspired me to take action. I look forward to staying updated with the organization and helping however possible!

In late October we visited three classes at a college in Brooklyn NY. Rebecca Ouellette, a veteran of the National Guard and a new We Are Not Your Soldiers presenter, shared why she left the National Guard with the students and engaged in a lot of discussion with them.