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Retired US Army Colonel Speaks to Group; 'Hit the Streets'
A U.S. Army veteran who resigned in protest of the Bush administration's policies told her story to an appreciative crowd of nearly 70 in Eureka's Waterfront Wharfinger Building Monday night."It is important that we hit the streets," retired Col. Ann Wright urged the group. "There are a lot of reasons why we have to keep working to end the war in Iraq."
Wright handed in her resignation in March 2003 as a sign of her displeasure with the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq, its policies on the Israel-Palestine conflict and on North Korea and its ongoing assault on U.S. citizens' civil liberties.
In her letter of resignation, addressed to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, Wright wrote, "I believe the administration's policies are making the world a more dangerous, not a safer, place. I feel obligated morally and professionally to set out my very deep and firm concerns on these policies and to resign from government service as I cannot defend or implement them."
On Monday, Veterans for Peace associate member and event organizer Becky Luening gave a brief run-through of Wright's extensive resume - 29 years in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, 16 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, two master's degrees and a law degree - as background.
"We're not dealing with a lightweight here," Luening observed.
Wright has spent the years since her resignation as a full-time peace activist, racking up, among other things, 26 days in Camp Casey with Cindy Sheehan, countless appearances on Capitol Hill and what she cheerfully refers to as "a lot of arrests" for protesting the Iraq War.
Her main message Monday: Stay involved and keep the pressure on - or, as she put it, "harass the bejesus out of" - elected representatives.
"We're not putting up with endless war," she emphasized. "We elected you to end this war now."
She joined the military, she said, "kind of on a lark," because she wanted to see the world. During her decades of service, she's worked under eight administrations, none of which have had what she called "pretty" records.
So why did it take her so long to speak out?
"I'm a slow learner," she laughed.
But she's making up for lost time, speaking regularly in congressional hearings and to groups around the country.
"Not too many people think about the reality of what war is," she observed. Veterans are returning from Iraq with physical and psychological injuries that are not being adequately treated, she asserted, and civil liberties have been steadily eroded since Sept. 11, 2001. Further, she charged, kidnapping and torture have the tacit approval of the U.S. Congress, and the history of Guantanamo Bay - which she likened to the concentration camps of World War II - demands its immediate closure.
The women and men serving in the U.S. military "didn't volunteer for this," Wright said. "(T)hey didn't volunteer for what this administration has done to them."
Despite the long list of wrongs on the part of the Bush administration, she said, the growing opposition of American citizens to the war is a positive sign. "The house of cards is starting to fall."
Among other things, she believes citizens need to be working toward the impeachment of the president and vice president. "Either we can wait two years and change everything by voting, or we can do other things in the meantime," she said. "We are making progress, and we are going to end this war."
The group several times responded to Wright's comments with resounding applause. At the end of the night, they gave her a standing ovation.
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter
17 Comments so far
Show AllHas Ann Wright's story ever penetrated the mainstream media? We have several high-ranking military stating our military is "broken". Did that make it to Fox News? I think Bush's approval rating would drop to maybe 2% if the People only knew about the truly sad state of our armed forces.
To Wright: keep up the good work. You've sacrificed a lot to participate in this dissent. Thank you.
Remember the message is to "hit the streets". This summer and 2008 should be one of constant demonstrations. We can be a counter balance to the corporations' campaign donations!!
I have never heard of Ann Wright but Lee Iacocca's name is recognized by everyone. Things are starting to change surprisingly fast. People are starting to come out of the shadows.
Just in from the Associated Press:
BAGHDAD - A sharp increase in mortar attacks on the Green Zone — the one-time oasis of security in
Iraq's turbulent capital — has prompted the U.S. Embassy to issue a strict new order telling all employees to wear flak vests and helmets while in unprotected buildings or whenever they are outside.
Worthy, principled, and courageous human beings like Ann Wright are ignored by the MSM. Dunderheads like Paris Hilton (puke!) are celebrated and get ink and air time. Very sad indeed.
I think of the words of a certain Royal Navy captain during the evacuation of Crete (May 1941), who compared his efforts at getting the Army away from almost certain disaster (in the face of terrible losses in both ships and men) to "...beating my head against a brick wall".
To which Admiral Cunningham, C-in-C Mediterranean Fleet replied: "...you may loosen a brick!"
So, let's all keep banging away, Ann - both in your country and mine. In God's good time, a brick will break loose...then another...then another. And the wall will get weaker and weaker, until it goes crashing to the ground. Leipzig and Prague 1989...London and New York...?
Here you have a woman with more balls than a man......keep on trucking.
"When the truth comes into the light, the lies will hide in the dark"... Ponce
Dear Ann Wright, Thank you for standing up. You are right about our kids not deserving what these hoodlums in Washington have done to them. The lice at the head of our government did not see to the security of our troops as they were tossed into a corporate war. Basic equipment and safety were ignored as this bunch of "war guys" added a little war time to their resumes. First, we get our kids out of Iraq and other dangerous places. Second, we bring this fraudulent and insane false government to justice. Third, we see justice done.
It's extremely admirable of Ann Wright to speak her mind as she does.
Oh, you've never heard of Col. Ann Wright? Well, neither have I, because the Bush administration didn't want us to know what her resignation said in plain and simple terms. Wouldn't you like to know how Colin Powell responded?
"Hit the streets!........Stay involved and keep the pressure on - or, as she put it, "harass the bejesus out of" - elected representatives."
If only most of the men in the military had her sense of ethics, patriotism and courage!
My father was incarcerated in the most notorious concentration camp of WW11....CHANGI for 4 years
Australian David Hicks was incarcerated for longer in Guantanamo.....
This is the greatest shame to all Americans either wittingly or unwittingly....it will cast a stain on Americas reputation for GENERATIONS....
COME ON AMERICA GET OUT AND PROTEST
and no doubt the slimey right wing machine will try to smear her record as well. bravo brave lady!
This lady should be in Congress or the Senate.
Or maybe in civilian leadership at the Pentagon.
What a shame Nancy Pelosi doesn't begin to have the integrity, intelligence, and courage of a woman like Ann Wright. Here, we have someone who is a true leader -- a rarity.
Yes indeed we do need to harass the bejezus out of our elected officials who've all but rolled over and are playing dead.
Please run for President.
You are America.
God bless you, Ann. There is no one like you.
P.S. When are you coming to Boston?
(Your aquaintance from "The U.S. vs. John Lennon"
and the SOA protest)
Some of you have never heard of this couragous woman have you? Well, now you have!
Thankyou Ann!
Here is the name of another courage women who as spoken out very loudly agianst the war and deserves alot of credit for also speaking out against these criminals.
Karen Kwiatkowski (ret.), a veteran of the Pentagon.She is a retired USAF lieutenant colonel, who spent her final four and a half years in uniform working at the Pentagon.Her final posting was as an analyst..
Thankyou Karen!
They already tried to smear her - I think. I don't watch but I think I read Cindy Sheehan mention that O'Lielly started ripping her and she asked him how many years he had served in the military and they cut her microphone.
Things aren't turning fast. They've been turning for over a year now but I admit, people DO seem to be coming out of this fog of war. Rather than Rapture, I think we're getting closer to the 'true' second coming of Christ, where we all wake up from this nightmare and realize how powerful we truly are. Then all those welldeserved negative thoughts we have towards these band of cowards and thier ilk will literally kill them.
This works in the same way as when a beloved spouse dies and the other spouse drops shortly after. It's a realization of sorts, and how much real energy there is between people. When we take up all that negative energy and direct it squarely at you know who, then we'll acheive an awesome victory for the good of each of us and the world.
As long as that butt-for-brains doesn't have the electronic football.