London War Resister Support Group

My name is Joshua Randall. I am sure many of you already know that i am AWOL from the U.S. army. If you do not know this you will soon see my name on lists of Anti Iraq-war activists and will see me at anti- war demonstrations.
I used to be a medic in the 10th mountain division. I used to be a proud american soldier as well as citizen. Now post deployment to Iraq i find myself challenging the very government i once so easily and blindly followed. I am speaking to you today not for pity for what i have decided to do, but to give insight on what brought me to this decision of leaving the army and coming to canada.
I would first like to say that i am no longer a member of the United States Armed Forces. When I crossed the border January 3 2008 i had little intention on crossing back over that border. I have officially and strongly resigned from the military that insists on occupying a country and ignoring the rights of the impoverished indigenous peoples. I am no longer a soldier in the U.S. army. I will never stop being a soldier. A soldier fights for the oppressed, he does not become the oppressor himself.I will not respect:
An organization that willfully changes a persons life with flick of a pen by changing contracts to extend them just to get another trigger puller for another year (practice known as stop-loss).
An organization that preaches equality but openly discriminates against homosexuality, race, gender, and definitely ethnic background
An organization that openly allows crimes against humanity and peace and then covers them up with fancy pen work and scare tactics.
An organization that is stated to be all volunteer but wont allow one to volunterily leave.
I willingly joined the U.S. army in april of 2006 I was proud as proud could be i believed i was going to fight for my country. I blinded myself into thinking that patriotism was following right behind were the flag is flying and not looking to the left and right of it. But here is where a majority of Americans, as well as Politicians have made their largest mistake: Defending your country does not mean destroying other Nations out of and/or for Revenge. But the People bought into the outcry that we must kill to feel better, and the Politicians sang their songs and danced their dances, in an attempt to show who was the most Patriotic of them all!
America stayed fixed to the lies from Fox News (can it really be called "News"?) and we watched the towers fall so many thousands of times until we were all ready to go kill and die for the Eagle and Red, White and Blue.
As an american I fell into the day to day complacincy with international events specificaaly the events involved with us. I ignored the truth and believed the painted picture of red white and blue.It was not until i was in IRAQ did i truly realize and believe what i already knew. My country’s leadership lied to me and i believed them. I ignored the rest of the world which disagrees with this war. Now i have been awakened to the corporatization of North America and know the many reasons why this war is wrong and illegal.
Before i deployed to Iraq i believed that i was to fight for my country, defend its freedoms. Instead i go there and cause nothing but furhter problems and merely try and survive, make it home. It is a sad picture when even the higher echelons of leadership in Iraq do not really understna what we are doing and accomplishing. They don’t understand what we are accomplishing because well were not accomplishing anything. Chaos does not breed happy times, chaos breeds chaos.
As a soldier in the US army we are supposed to live by seven army values. These army values are based on common moral ideals. They are Loyalty,Duty,Respect,Selfless-Service,Honor,Integrity,Personal courage.The army as a whole has no clue what any of these mean, much less the U.S. leadership.Loyalty, this value is described as follows: Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S.CONSTITUTION, the Army, your unit , and other soldiers. There is a multitude of things wrong with this particular value. Starting with the first part. “All Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land”(Article VI). So with this being stated violating the laws set forth by the UN would be violiating the constition. So with this war being illegal and unsactioned by the UN particapting in this war would not only be a war crime but a violation of the constitution as well. Thereby violating one of the so called “values” of the army.

And So Here I Am.