Another U.S. War Resister Flees to Canada To Avoid Fighting in Iraq ..

[struggle4progress]

.. Via The New 'Underground Railroad'

Earlier this week Ryan Johnson and his wife crossed into Canada to escape serving in the military. Over the past month they have traveled across the United States and then into Canada with help from a new underground railroad that has formed to help war resisters. During a stop in New York, Johnson joined us in our studio to explain why he is heading to Canada. <snip>

http://www.pacifica.org/programs/dn/050607.html

<snip> RYAN JOHNSON: Well, after two or three years of just like going from one job to another, because I had had like over eight jobs in two years, and none of them had, you know, really been able to sustain any sort of normal life for me. So we happened upon the army website and, you know, they promised that it will be a steady job, and you'll have a place to live and you'll have food, which all those are things that I hadn't had yet, so it sounded good at the time. <snip>

RYAN JOHNSON: Well, actually my father is deceased, and I told them that, and they said, “Oh, well, you know, since your father's deceased, you won't have to go, because there is a clause that says that if you have a family member that is deceased, you won't have to go.” But that’s only if it’s after you join the military they died and they had to have died in combat. They didn't tell me that. So I was under the impression that I wouldn't go. <snip>

JENNIFER JOHNSON: It has been really hard seeing a lot of the stuff that's happened, and we were just at Pablo’s court-martial. We went down to San Diego, and just seeing what they were going through. It has been a big decision. <snip>

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/07/1334238#transcript

[hadrons]

1. sounds like this Johnson guy didn't really think the decision to join thru

easy prey

[merwin]

4. Well, that's a pretty big lie they told him, saying that he would go to

Iraq. I think many people would join the army if they were promised not go to to iraq.

[SouthernDem2004]

2. Underground railroad?

Is the man to dumb to get into a car and drive there? How about a bus or plane. It is not like the US Marshals are hot on his trail. Wonder if he was hiding in attics and basements....

[Dragonfly]

3. Until one is faced with a

similar set of circumstances, I think it's hard to second-guess the inner workings of a strong-hearted lad with an understandably troubled mind.

With the pedal-to-the-floorboard unapologetically goin'-for-it-all operational mindset being employed by the * cabal, making highly punitive examples of courageous members of the military who say "No More" is surely a subject for Rovian strategy sessions. .

I'm proud of Ryan and the people who are supporting him. As well, Torontonian soul warriors apparently abound, much to the appreciation of many of us.