Leonard Clark, member of the 860th MP Company of the Arizona National Guard stationed in Iraq, (and a subject of many previous diaries here at Booman Tribune) continues to defy the threats and intimidation of court martial from his superiors. His latest emails posted yesterday explain why:
The evil of the mind is conquered by the goodness of the heart
Folks, I have decided to write you this email in response to those who are wondering in their own views why I am apparently violating the “rules”. Since I don’t have much time here is the gist of it: I believe American soldiers (my brothers and sisters) are being killed needlessy over here in this lie we call “the Occupation of Iraq”.
More after the break . . .
To me it is no different than knowing that people are being murdered and that a fellow human being has the supreme moral obligation to prevent these murders from taking place. These are not the actions that an unreasonable person would take but to the contrary – ones that a very reasonable and humane person would take.
I know now in my gut that I have angered and scared very poweful people. Now, I know that I will probably pay the price but I am a human being first, and to me it is then condoning a war crime to stand by and let what I am seeing with my own eyes and other soldiers’ eyes take place over here in Iraq. I am being threatened for these reasons that I have stated: the evil that is in the minds of men being conquered by the good that is in the hearts.
Leonard Clark
soon to be a prisoner of conscience
P.S. If I am cut off with communications with my wife and daughter
please tell my friends to tell them that I will always love them
and to trust in GOD.
Leonard also tells us in another email he is attempting to go to the Inspector General and acquire legal representation. Please go to his blog and offer him your words of support.
And while there, be sure and check out his other posts and audio files if you haven’t done so before now. Hearing him describe his life in Iraq is very powerful.
Thank You All.
Whatever you think of his actions, and I know some think he should be quiet, this man has guts. Many people like to think they would have the moral courage to stand up for what they believe if faced with what they saw as an immoral situation, but sadly many of us, when confronted with an immoral situation, discover we lack the courage of our convictions. I count myself in that number.
Leonard Clark does not. The least we can do is salute him for that, and in some small way try to stand up to this illegal, immoral war here in the safety of our own homes.
So, we have our martyr(not being snide) and what can we do to support his stance against this illegal occupation. We have our first hand account of what is really happening there and I want to stand by him. Do we have the courage of his convictions to help this hero?
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism.
it seems like he is going to pay the consequences for doing the right thing.
My heart is in my throat. I always knew that this was the price that was going to have to be paid for a soldier to be 100% honest about Iraq and what is taking place over there. Many times I have read the complaints from others about “how the soldiers could get on the planes” and “why won’t the soldiers tell us the truth” and it looks like everybody is going to see first hand WHY. We will lose contact with him too, in the military system of justice if they don’t want you to see anybody or ever have your voice heard again they have that power! He won’t even be a decent martyr if he gets forgotten about by the public, and that my friends is exactly why nobody else in the military is willing to do this. They don’t think they can trust the rest of us to wage war on the military complex and the administration and fight for their freedom!
That’s why we have to keep the light shining on this story. My impression/hope is that they will back down if they fear this turning into a major pr storm.
Of course it would help if any of the MSM would deign to cover this.
Steven…is he sending these emails to the media? Is anyone saving the emails somewhere other than his computer? We must not let him be forgotten.Has anyone started a defense fund/ Does he have outside counsel?
I think several people are saving these emails. I’ve saved some and I believe the site administrators for his blog are also saving them.
I’ve emailed many media outlets but the more people who do the better.
It would be great to have one place for all his emails that we could go back and reference if we were inclined to write the media. I will personally write many letters as long as I have easy access to his emails/voicemails etc. I want to help…any body else?