Just saw this incredible story of civil disobedience from Reuters:
ALDERSHOT (Reuters) – An RAF doctor stood trial at a court martial on Tuesday for refusing orders to go to Iraq, which he said was an illegal war.
Australian-born Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith could face an unlimited jail sentence for five charges of disobeying orders after refusing to train and deploy last year, in the first case of its kind over Iraq.
Prosecutor David Perry read out a statement Kendall-Smith gave to police in which he said he could not go to Iraq because he believed the war was illegal and that to go would violate British and international law.
“For me to comply with an order which I consider to be illegal, places me in breach of domestic and international law, something that I am not prepared to do,” the statement said.
A doctor is not a front line soldier. He would have had a relatively safe tour of duty in Iraq, but chose to refuse to serve in a war he considered illegal and immoral, knowing he could be sentenced to an indefinite prison term. That takes real courage, folks — standing up for your beliefs even when they could send you to jail.
Let’s hope this brave man gets off.
I think that maybe he would not want to be in the same category as a biscuit. With that aside, I congratulate him for his brilliant decision making. I find him with clear mind and forethought of being clear as to why he won’t do something against his will. I hope he gets lots of support for his decision. Thanks again…I think the medical oath he took outweighs his demand on what he might be doing for the military in Iraq. He understands the international law more than the leader of his country, I think..
If he thinks he just might be involved in something that is illegal, they do not do it..plain and simple..right???!! But you see the military will consider this mutiny/traitor…see the problem he faces. <<< sigh…….>>>
As long as he is willing to pay the penalty.
We need some examples of moral courage. Good on this guy — this was the fundamental lesson of Nuremburg: just because some authority orders you to do something, you are not absolved of responsibility.
We are seeing moral clarity at home too. These immigrant marches are salutary, exemplary, because as as somebody said in the Wapo: “A community that had essentially been trying to remain invisible suddenly concluded that their invisibility was only making them more vulnerable.” The courage of necessity is often the most potent courage.
I understand his reasoning for not wanting to go to Iraq. My first thought was that a doctor is who is needed most in Iraq to treat all of the wounded. But, on the other hand, his being a doctor could also be beneficial not going to Iraq, treating wounded who do make it out of there.
Another point to consider: after all that has been written re: PRSD, I don’t think his tour of duty would have been completely safe–emotionally, that is. Seriously, I often wonder how doctor can handle all of the stress that goes w/practicing medicine.
I’m not saying I disagree w/him though.
He will not get off. Letting him off would amount to a recognition of his argument that the war is illegal. They can’t afford that. He’s really put them in a bind.
This puts a whole new twist to it. Sounds like this guy is getting the bureaucratic runaround, was caught by some bullshit regulation that normally may not have been enforced, is fighting the system, and is standing up for what he believes.
This guy should get off!!!!!!
I predict that the military’s going to make an example of him. They want swords, unthinking machines that kill what they’re pointed at, instead of soldiers.
They also want doctors who have no emotion. Despite all of the education/training that a doctor has to go thru before getting his/her liscence, there is no way anyone can convince me that a doctor can completely detach his/her emotions from what their patients go thru. If they did, they wouldn’t be human.
Or at the very least, they’d be a very poor doctor.