Soldiers Join War Protest

[babylonsister]

Soldiers Join War Protest
by Jane Huh

Northwest Indiana natives Vincent Emanuele and Derek Giffin grapple with their pasts.Both served in the war in Iraq and say they are scarred by what they witnessed. They say they are resentful because they feel the U.S. government lied to them about the battle’s purpose.

On Thursday, Emanuele of Burns Harbor and Giffin of Schererville will be in Washington, D.C., to send a message to the country’s leaders. They will join hundreds of other protesters from Iraqi Veterans Against the War and other organizations. The protest coincides with the five-year anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.

The “Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan” is a four-day event, from Thursday to Sunday featuring testimonies from veterans of both occupations.

Military recruiting officials would not respond to Emanuele and Giffin’s views on the record because they were ordered not to give comment.

But Marlene Bland, a public affairs official for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command at the Fort Knox, Ky., headquarters, said anti-war protests are protected.

“Part of a soldier’s responsibility is to uphold the First Amendment right to free speech,” Bland said. “We certainly respect the opinions of others.”

Emanuele, 23, and Giffin, 27, hope their activism will compel more Americans to question their government.

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http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/11/7599/

[Breeze54]

1. Go Vincent Emanuele and Derek Giffin ! Tell it !!

:kick: & Recommended

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I support our veterans

especially these two brave soldiers intent on telling the TRUTH.

[yellerpup]

3. First person accounts are the most powerful stories to change people's

minds about what they are being sold on the war. K&R! I hope these guys get the recognition they need to put their point across.

[Tom Joad]

4. Most important news story of the day.