Uncommon Thought Journal: Sgt Kevin Benderman Goes on Trial Tomorrow

July 27, 2005

Sgt Kevin Benderman Goes on Trial Tomorrow

By: Jack Dalton

Kevin Benderman will face a General Courts Martial tomorrow for his refusal to deploy to Iraq a second time. It is the Army that should be on trial (as well as Bush & Co) and not Kevin! (the link to the article By John Catalinotto follows my short comments)

Kevin Benderman is a man of the highest ethics, integrity and sense of honor; and one that I have had the good fortune to have met. We have had many, many conversations over the past year and I always come away from those conversations with increased admiration and respect for Kevin and his wife Monica. Kevin has raised the "bar" and has set an example that we would all do good to follow. It was Kevin's willingness to go public with his decision not to re-deploy to Iraq that has got in the position he is in currently. It was after all his going public that got the Army's shorts tied in a knot. It does not like or appreciate media or public attention and anything or anyone that puts a spotlight on the Army will, as has Kevin, suffer its full wrath.

But Kevin has not been intimidated by the Army - honorable men of ethics and integrity are not easily intimidated - but has stood tall with honor against the beast this nation's military has been turned into thanks to the "perpetual war for perpetual peace" insanity of Bush & Co.

Here is the email response I sent to Kevin and Monica today behind the one I received from them, also today:

No Monica, it is not for me...it is for your children; it is for all the children you do not know but who will be affected by all of the efforts of you and Kevin. It is for the wives and children of those in the same position as you and Kevin; that's what you are fighting for and that is also what I fight for.

It is up to people like us to fight for those who for one reason or another cannot fight for themselves. And it is that which you and Kevin have fought so well for.

You are an amazing woman, Monica and one with a good heart as well as mind. You, like Kevin, have looked the "beast" dead in the eye and have fought it on its own terms. Regardless of how this turns out, you have raised the bar of open active resistance for others to see and follow--you have set the example for others to follow and nothing and no one can ever take that away from you.

I can only hope at this point in time that others in this country will recognize the extremely important example you have set for the rest of us. A living example of ethics, integrity, honor and a refusal to compromise any of that for any reason--That is something to be emulated by all.

My prayers are with you both and do so hope that the court tomorrow will see and understand that the right thing to do with Kevin is just to give him a discharge and send him home. Anyone who has served this nation with honor, as has Kevin over the past 11 years, does not deserve to be treated in the manner in which he is being treated. It is the Army that has committed an act of dishonor after all by even wanting to put him on trial.

Read this email sent to me by Kevin. Kevin sums "things" up rather nicely:

Jack: We are going to "slay the dragon" that is threatening our very existence as a country and we are going to do this together as a team. I could not do what you have helped me do if you had not been there to get this message out to others.

You have been fighting the beast far longer than I have and I am now trying to get up to speed on what I should have been doing all along.

Jack, I have never felt that your generation has gotten a fair shake from the powers that put you into that hellhole called southeast Asia but I never actively tried to force them to put things right, well all that is changing for me now and I will use my energy to try and set things right for you and everyone that has gotten the shitty end of the stick from these assholes. And I hope my efforts will prevent another generation from receiving the same treatment from the assholes that hide behind people like us. In peace, Kevin