In Support of SGT Ricky Clousing

[pecwae]

From Trigreens mailing list:

"On Thursday, Sgt. Ricky Clousing plead guilty to absent without leave and will serve three months in confinement. At his sentencing hearing, Sgt. Clousing continued to raise his concerns about the abuses of power that go without accountability and the everyday devastation of the occupation of Iraq. For the time being, Ricky is being held at Camp LeJuene in North Carolina. It's critical over the coming week that Ricky receive letters, postcards, and other words of encouragement from friends, family and other supporters. This will both keep his spirits up, and put the brig staff on notice that Ricky is not alone.

Support Sgt. Clousing in the brig! Write a letter today and tell him he's not alone! Please send only letters or postcards. If you do want to send Ricky reading material, it must come from a bookstore or publisher preferably new and shrink-wrapped. Food and other personal items won't make it to Ricky. Also, assume that all letters to Ricky will be screened so please use the appropriate discretion."

DU latest discussion here: www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2407851

If anyone wants to send SGT Clousing mail please PM me and I will supply his mailing address. Freepers could possibly figure the address out, but I don't want to post it here and make it easy for them to harrass or stalk him.

[pecwae]

1. Kicking for support, please! nt

[pecwae]

2. Well, I pasted the wrong DU

discussion link as anyone who read the OP saw. I'll get someone with 1000 posts to try to generate some interest in supporting this soldier as all I've read on DU seems to back him on his decision. It's disappointing to get zero replies to an effort such as this.

[trof]

3. Here ya go. KICK!

[pecwae]

4. Thank you, trof!

[Mortos]

5. I'll kick ya

My experience with the soldiers in Iraq, is that most have no idea what we are there for and would prefer to not be there. They go because they are ordered to, not because they believe they are doing something for the greater good or defending their country.

[pecwae]

6. Thank you so much Mortos!

Sgt. Clousing needs support in this.

[magellan]

7. Kicking for Sgt Clousing -- please help!

Here's the background, this guy deserves our support for taking a stand!! Please contact pecwae (OP) for Sgt Clousing's mailing address in the brig.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2559137

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A Fort Bragg paratrooper who says he left his military base because he disagreed with the U.S. mission in Iraq was sentenced to three months of confinement after pleading guilty Thursday to going absent without leave.

Sgt. Ricky Clousing, 24, of Sumner, Wash., also will receive a reduction in rank before getting a bad conduct discharge. His plea allowed him to avoid a more severe sentence for desertion.

Attorney David Miner said Clousing had "no regrets" for his decision to leave his barracks in North Carolina in June 2005 after a five-month tour in Iraq, where he worked as an interrogator in a military intelligence battalion. Clousing has said that he witnessed an American soldier kill an innocent Iraqi man in Mosul and that unit leaders dismissed his account by saying he was an inexperienced soldier.

"He came to realize the Iraq war was immoral and illegal," Miner said. "Today he was able to present his side and his reasons for what he did."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061012/ap_on_re_us/iraq_objector