Freedom of expression not free for some in the U.S.

Evan Casper-Futterman Guest Writer

There are young citizens of this country for whom the primary concern is not whether there is room on the bus going to the weekend protest, but rather whether their presence at the demonstration will lead to criminal charges. With the significant Vassar contingent that attended the anti-war demonstration in Washington, D.C. this past weekend, perhaps it is worth considering how our experience with protests differs from those of our peers, the young people enlisted in the military. Here at Vassar, our confidence and comfort in the ability to express our political beliefs without fear of government reprisal (leaving peer reprisal aside) may delude us into thinking that these rights are guaranteed to all U.S. citizens equally.

What if every anti-war organization you belonged to or action you took had to be in the Bill of Rights in order to justify and protect its existence? Active-duty military personnel must constantly fight for the right to do what students do with merely logistical concerns.

On the morning after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, three active-duty soldiers, flanked by nearly two dozen veterans, anti-war organizers, and supporters, called a press conference on Capitol Hill to announce that they were appealing to Congress for the withdrawal of all troops from Iraq. The three active-duty soldiers who stepped to the microphone, all between the ages of 22 and 24, wore suits and looked more like young boys on their way to their prom than veterans of war. Liam Madden (Marine Corps) and Jabbar Magruder (California Army National Guard) spoke briefly and barely audibly, then took questions that focused on their visual appearance and whether they feared reprisal for their actions.

Members of the military may attend demonstrations or otherwise express themselves publicly, but only when they are off-base, off-duty, and out of uniform. There is controversy surrounding this that dates back to the Vietnam War, when anti-war, active-duty soldiers appeared at demonstrations in their military apparel to speak against the war, citing (and condemning) their contemporary commanding officers who had appeared in military uniform before Congress to support the war effort.

An appeal was drafted for this weekend’s events, known as the Appeal For Redress. It represents the efforts of its creator, Jonathan Hutto, an active-duty Navy seaman, and the additional coordinating support of military-related anti-war organizations such as Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against War. The Appeal reads, “As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.” In the days following the Jan. 16 press conference, over 100 additional anonymous signatures had been added, which brought the total to 1,200 military personnel as of Monday, Jan. 22.

In light of the continuing public disapproval of President Bush’s handling of the Iraq war, the appeal is significant because it represents the first concerted effort to organize and publicize anti-war sentiment among active-duty soldiers, who, as a result of their relationship with national security, are far less free in their capacities to speak out against war. Thus, the Appeal is brief, direct, polite, and avoids any sort of invective found in some civilian anti-war appeals.

For their increased risk, however, their opinions carry greater weight. A petition as politely worded as “The Appeal from 1200 civilians” would not carry significant political weight or warrant any media coverage. The appeal is considered an unprecedented step in the shorthistory of soldier resistance, even considering the very active military resistance movement during the Vietnam War.

Soldiers, veterans and military families are a critical component of anti-war activism, and their role in the current anti-war movement is just now beginning in earnest years after the start of the war. Their involvement comes with far greater sacrifice and risk than it does for even the most compromised of civilians. As we discuss the successes of the past weekend’s protest and future struggles to end the Iraq war, we should be mindful that the rights we exercise with minor inconvenience possess a value to others that we can only begin to understand.