It is with heavy heart, because I did not seek to join the National Guard nor flee to Canada during the Vietnam War, I volunteered for it. However, this plea is for Veterans, troops, families and our supporters to lobby the leaders of the Canadian government to allow freedom from exploitation and abusive military service for combat Veterans. Meaning all Veterans and Active Duty troops who have served at least one tour in Afghanistan, and Iraq beyond Kuwait.

Contact, Courage to Resist and assist them in their letter/email campaign to allow an Underground Railroad seeking end of the line sanctuary and safe havens in Canada free of extradition or deportation.

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/89/

I reluctantly come to this conclusion, as the father of a Soldier who did time in Iraq, and asked myself IF our Soldier had decided that two or more trips into harms way while the rest of America's youth skates is too much, and wanted to go to Mexico or Canada what would I do to save his/her life from an abusive, tyrannical government, and exploitative people of our nation. There is no second guessing my response.

As long as our nation is led in the War on Terror primarily by those in Congress, and this administration that on large part avoided the draft or especially combat in Vietnam, even as a Retired Military Officer, I cannot with a clear conscious continue to expect less that one percent of America's youth to carry the burden of war for America. That IS NOT patriotism, it is downright SINFUL and using the slogans of Patriotism in vain in my eyes is no different from claming righteousness in a God's name, any God, as an excuse to arrogantly run the world!!!

Many of these young men and women are willing to fight and dies for what THEY believe in IF I agree with them or not, well SO AM I. That said, I join with Ann Wright, Colonel, U.S. ARMY-RETIRED in calling upon other Patriotic Retired Military officers to join in this effort to either force and end to the questionable Iraq War or seek national commitment in the form of Selective Service regardless the political correctness.

ROBERT L. HANAFIN, SP/5, U.S. ARMY (69-76), MAJOR, U.S. AIR FORCE-RETIRED (77-94)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2, CANADA

AND

Minister of Citizenship &
Immigration Diane Finley
Citizenship & Immigration Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1, CANADA

Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration

As parents of a Soldier that served honorably in Iraq,
we are writing from the United States to ask that you
abide by the June 3rd House of Commons resolution to
create a program to allow conscientious objectors,
including U.S. war resisters, to apply for permanent
resident status in Canada and to cease all deportation
and removal proceedings against them.

Please act immediately to implement the resolution to
allow U.S. war resisters to stay in Canada.

Having a child volunteer to serve his/her nation in
combat anywhere in the world is traumatic enough, for
any government, and we would include yours, to expect
our sons and daughters to consistently carry the
burden for a nation that is not committed to any war
is not only sinful, but an international disgrace.

We are frankly requesting this not for our child, but
suffice it to say that if our Soldier decided that the
never ending deployments are not only disproportionate
to the overall commitment and determination of the
people of the United States to commit their all to the
War on Terrorism but unethical, we would certainly
desire him or her to have a dignified way out until
our nation comes to it's senses.

Canada has a rich history and heritage in opening its
arms to embracing exploited and abuse of our
disgraceful nation. Your courageous nation was an
instrumental end of the line for millions of slaves,
conductors, and safe way houses along our Underground
Railroad. A freedom highway in which thousands of
Americans risked their lives and broke both U.S. and
Canadian laws that condoned the institution of
slavery. Without Canada's inspirational encouragement
and cooperation abolition of slavery in your sinful
neighbor to the south would have either been
impossible of taken much longer and more years that it
took to purge that sin from our national disgrace.
Though our nation is not YET that divided, the
American people certainly are not committed to
sacrificing their own children to any questionable
war.
 
When more than 50,000 Americans refused to fight in
Vietnam and emigrated to Canada, Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau declared, “[They] have my complete sympathy,
and indeed our political approach has been to give
them access to Canada. Canada should be a refuge from
militarism.”

On June 3rd, the Canadian House of Commons bravely and
ethically voted to uphold this rich tradition by
passing the following historic resolution:

[It is recommended that] the government immediately
implement a program to allow conscientious objectors
and their immediate family members (partners and
dependents), who have refused or left military service
related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations
and do not have a criminal record, to apply for
permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and
that the government should immediately cease any
removal or deportation actions that may have already
commenced against such individuals.

In addition to this Parliamentary motion, according to
a recent poll nearly two of three Canadians also favor
U.S. war resisters being allowed to stay. Furthermore,
many wonderful and morally right Canadians have opened
their homes and their hearts to U.S. war resisters.
Please continue Canada’s honorable tradition of being
a refuge from militarism.

The longer the U.S. government run mostly by people
who found every excuse imaginable to avoid the draft
or combat during our nation's last mistake, you can
rest assured that another Underground Railroad will
seek endless lines of freedom in both Canada and
Mexico. We would be ignorant to not implore you that
this will be with or without the Canadian government
sanction as long as those courageous enough to resist
tyranny, exploitation, and abusive military service.

Here, our military family is specifically talking
about combat Veterans who have done more than their
share of carrying America's war burdens while most
American youngsters escape the War on Terror by choice
or in most case privilege. When we ask for the
Canadian government's welcoming of Veterans and troops
fed up with endless deployments they are whom we
really mean.

Our nation has no draft, and there is not intention by
our gutless government to implement Selective Service
to show the world our people's commitment. If our
national leaders would but institute the draft to
provide our troops much needed relief, plus make the
War on Terror on an international basis winnable, WE
would not be contacting you.

Today Canada again faces the moral choice of whether
to give refuge to resisters of an unjust war. If
forced back to the U.S., soldiers of conscience face
years of incarceration and stigmatizing discharges.
Although unlikely, even the death penalty remains as a
possible penalty for desertion in wartime under the
U.S. military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Depending on the sort of government that comes to
power in America post-2008, if our government leaders
who on large part will not sacrifice their own loves
one's in their war, Prime Minister Harper, and
Minister Finley rest assured that the number of
Veterans, Troops, families, and supporters on your
side of the border and ours are GOING TO INCREASE
substantially.

WE ask that the Canadian government respect the
democratic decision of 'your' Parliament, the opinions
of our Congress and Administration are irrelevant to
the people of Canada, and justifiably so. The
demonstrated opinion of the Canadian citizenry, the
view of the United Nations, and millions of Americans
by immediately implementing the motion and cease
deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and other
current and future war resisters.

Sincerely

Robert L. Hanafin
Specialist-5, U.S. Army (69-77)
Never avoided the draft or service in Vietnam
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired (78-94)

We say that if it takes another Underground Railroad
to Canada to bring freedom and justice back to
America, in the words of our lame duck President,
"Bring it On!"___

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/89/