Let Him Stay U.S. Deserter Jeremy Hinzman's Day In Court Arrives by Matthew Mernagh ST. CATHARINES, CANADA -- (OfficialWire) -- 07/07/04 -- A test of Canada's liberal immigration and political asylum laws begins today. American GI Jeremy Hinzman's hearing before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board should be barn burner. Hinzman, 25, is the first of what could be many, many more American GIs and possibly future draft dodgers who refuse to spill their or anyone else's blood for oil. Brandon Hughey, 19, followed his comrade, and currently resides in my sleepy hometown. Hughey expects to receive a work visa sometime this week! Then it's most likely off to Tim Horton's to sling coffee. Rumour has it that a third GI, a women, is camped out in Vancouver. The decision by the refugee board will determine the possible outcome of the two other GIs. Before fleeing to Canada, Hinzman attempted to work the military system hoping to be assigned a non combat role. While stationed at Fort Bragg, the former soldier had begun attending Quaker meetings with his wife and discovered the Quakers' philosophy of peace. It was this philosophy that made him realize that war was not the answer to the world's problems. The military denied his application for Conscientious Objector (CO) status along with his earlier request to be transferred to non-combat duties. The Army's brass originally claimed that Hinzman never filed a CO application but that came back to bite them in the ass when they handed over his file, that included the original "lost" CO application. Hinzman feared that his conscientious objector application, for the War in Iraq, would once again be ignored, dismissed, "lost" or ridiculed by the Army. His objection to the War in Afghanistan, resulted in his superiors punishing him by assigning the GI to 16 hour shifts of KP duty for the whole stretch. He quite possibly could be the best 'dish pig' a restaurant could ever have! The former soldier believes his superiors were making an example of his CO application to ensure that other troops didn't get the same idea. When the military brass did grant him a CO meeting, it lasted 25 minutes, and, of course, he was over-ruled and assigned combat duty. Remember, this is an Army based one set of rules and everyone must think the same way. Troops seeing one soldier going a different route than everyone else, might start thinking for themselves. If the troops begin thinking outside the box then they won't make the grass grow with "Blood! Blood! Bright Red Blood!" With few options available to them, the former 82nd airborne paratrooper packed up his young family, wife Nga Nguyen and two-year-old baby Liam and headed North. Hinzman should be given props for understanding Canada's unique cultural mosaic. He knew at least for a while he'd be granted some form of security in the 'Great White North' against the 'Dubya War Machine.' His case has ignited an incredible amount of debate. Those who object to American soldiers landing in Canada, claim they are making a mockery of the immigration system. These right wing, wingy dings, point out that they've signed a contract to serve. Hinzman does admit to inking his name on Uncle Sam's enlistment document, and his grandfather is upset about his so-called desertion, but he notes that he had grown as a person and evolved into a peace loving fellow. Much like many of the troops in the U.S. Army, Hinzman bought into the marketing. He writes on his website, "The Army is composed mostly of people who want to make a better life for themselves. The Army is aware of this and is very savvy in marketing it. In exchange for your innocence and morality, the Army provides the most socialistic environment available in the world. Literally everything about a soldier's life is subsidized." Everything is subsidized by the army because the actual pay for becoming a killing machine is less than minimum wage. Hinzman writes, "When we were at work for endless hours we would often calculate our hourly wage. It was well below the minimum wage. While I was in the Army, I worked very hard and feel that I earned every cent they paid me." Brandon Hughey also learned that there was another option available, rather than killing innocent people. At seventeen he enlisted to receive an education. His father signed the enlistment papers on behalf of his son. Funnily, the Army exposed him to the Internet where Hughey learned that some country's objected to the War in Iraq. The more he learned about the realities of the war, that it wasn't a noble cause, the more he became frightened. Feeling suicidal about shipping out to Iraq, the young man made a Canadian friend who assisted him in 'Escaping to Canada'. Hughey is staying with a St. Catharines Quaker couple, who have revived their role of assisting young men avoiding war. The couple opened their home during the '60s to draft dodgers and have once again reprised the role. A sense of déjà vu has begun as Canadians debate whether to offer safe haven to Americans who refuse to die for oil or to send them back. Many Canadians are proud of their 'draft dodging' role and look forward to sticking it to Uncle Sam by accepting GIs who throw down their guns or those who may be forced enlistees, in future. Much has changed from the glory days of draft card burning and fleeing North. Canada's immigration system has undergone great changes, but the advantage is that the system is still a slow moving beast. Odds are that Hinzman's application to stay in Canada will be rejected out right. American medicinal marijuana activist, Steve Kubby had his application for refugee status denied earlier this year. Political pressure, like that applied to Prime Minister Pierre Troudeau's Liberal government to keep draft dodgers in the '60s, is the only possibly means of keeping these fine upstanding Americans. With the U.S. forces becoming thinly stretched from ratcheting down insurgents around the world, it is likely that a draft will take place, to fill out their thinning ranks. Indeed, Sen. John Kerry has even suggested that a draft be held for civil service position such as policing and teaching. Resources for those GIs, according to Hinzman's lawyer more-and-more troops are contacting him every day, or soon to be draftees seeking out Canada's safe haven, are starting to come together. Canadian peace niks are organizing themselves. Marijuana activist Tim Meehan has launched the site, draftdodger.ca and he is currently revising the '60s guide, A Draft Dodgers Guide To Immigrating To Canada. © 2001-2004 - MPC Trading USA, Inc |
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