Common Ground Common Sense > Online film: 'This Is Where We Take Our Stand'

Full Version: Online film: 'This Is Where We Take Our Stand'

Common Ground Common Sense > Online Café > Online Café > Online Café Archive

believe_it

Oct 10 2009, 04:10 PM

Post 107 from this thread (and below) equally moving.
'IMAGINE PEACE' efforts start by standing with them or at least listening to what they are trying to tell us: http://www.sirnosir.com/

QUOTE

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...ess=132x8693461

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Jackeens/585

Photos. Gazillions of 'em.
PHOTOS The Nobel Prize Winner's Day

Posted by Jackeens_for_Obama in General Discussion: Presidential
Fri Oct 09th 2009, 04:27 PM

The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Thorbjoen Jagland, shows a picture of 2009 Nobel peace prize laureate, Barack Obama, after the announcement of the winner in Oslo 9 October 2009.

.

believe_it

Oct 10 2009, 04:13 PM

QUOTE(Livyjr @ Oct 10 2009, 06:55 AM)

QUOTE(Livyjr @ Jun 13 2008, 01:08 PM)

For a time, I was an infantryman who served as a NIGHTHAWK ...

I was the first NIGHTHAWK in my division, I believe ...

As a NIGHTHAWK, I went out each night on a helicopter armed with an M-14 rifle with a Starlight scope mounted on it so that I could see in the dark ...

The helicopter was my firing platform ...

One night we were ordered to go to these certain grid coordinates and when we got to there, it was a small "ville" that was being barraged with CS-gas mortar rounds to drive the people out of their houses and into the open where they were clearly illuminated by parachute flares ....

I can see them down there to this day ...

Women and children ...

I can still hear the "voice" coming into my head over the helicopter's radio from the Battalion Operations Center back in the big base camp that was in "control" of what the mission was going to be that night ...

"KILL THEM ALL!"

That was "THE MISSION" ...

To gun down each and every one of those people ...

A machine gunner next to me and my rifle ...

Start firing, gun them down, kill them all ...

The aircraft commander, a Lieutentant, countermanded that order ....

My memory of that event is that he drew his pistol on me and the gunner, and he told us not to fire, or by God, he would ...

And in the meantime, the "voice" continued, "KILL THEM ALL" ...

Now, that "voice" was my chain of command, not the Lieutenant ...

However, on board a helicopter, the aircraft commander outranks everyone on board, and besides he was there with a pistol drawn and aimed ...

WHOP! WHOP! WHOP! WHOP!

Like in slow motion, the rotor blade spun around ...

The people on the ground were still running and milling around, trying to escape the gas ....

The flares continued to hang there by their parachutes to turn night into day ...

And there we all were on the helicopter, EN TABLEAU ...

For what seemed like forever ....

By not pulling the trigger, I was disobeying a direct order from my battalion command staff ...

If I pulled the trigger, I was disobeying a direct order from the AC ....

The AC prevailed ...

No shots were fired ...

No women or children in that "ville" were killed by us that night ...

But the Lieutenant was not just leaving things there ...

It wasn't enough to him that we did not fire our weapons ...

That did not end anything ...

It began something instead, a REVOLT ...

A REVOLT by that OFFICER of the U.S. Army ...

Shortly after that, he was VECTORED into the path of our own outgoing artillery, and he was shot down out of the sky in flames ...

They burned all the way down ...

Helicopters burn real hot ....

They were murdered because of that REVOLT by that Lieutenant ...

I know they were vectored into the path of that artillery because I was monitoring the radio that night they died ...

That Lieutenant was going to make a FEDERAL CASE out of that mission that night, and so he was eliminated ....

And three other people on that helicopter that night went to their fiery deaths with him ...

One of them, my friend whose life I had previously saved in another episode was still alive when the helicopter hit the ground ...

We know that because he was found so many feet away where he had managed to crawl before he died ...

His legs were burned off up to his knees ...

It's funny how a simple little word like REVOLT connected to Viet Nam can trigger a release of memories like that ....

Just like I was still sitting there in that helicopter with my finger still on the trigger ...

Suspended in time and space ....

And so ...

That pilot and crew were from the "Little Bears", the 25th Infantry Division Aviation Battalion ...

They flew out of Cu Chi base camp in Viet Nam ...

The year they died was 1969 ...

And so ...

YOU ARE DAMN RIGHT, amy, ACROSS THE BOARD ...
AND OF COURSE I DO ....
JUST AS I DID BACK THEN WHEN I SAW IT BEING DONE FIRST-HAND ...
THAT IS WHY I WALKED AWAY FROM IT ALL FORTY YEARS AGO ...
FIGHTING FOR PEACE, AS O-BOMB-A IS DOING, IS LIKE F***ING FOR CHASTITY ....

And so ...

.

Thank you for reposting that from Jun 13, 2008, Livyjr. And repost it again, and again, and again, please.

http://www.tracychapman.com/
Tell It Like It Is
NEW BEGINNING CD, Track 8

I just discovered this when I revisited Sir! No Sir! The suppressed story of the GI movement to end the war in Vietnam. The site has been transformed and updated. "SHARE" US... they say.

QUOTE

http://www.sirnosir.com/

This is Where We Take Our Stand - Trailer from Displaced Films on Vimeo.

If you want to end the silence about the occupations,
The series you've been waiting for is here!

The full series is now on line.
Click on a title to watch each individual episode:

Episode 1: For Those Who Would Judge Me
Episode 2: Rules of Engagement
Episode 3: Why We Fight
Episode 4: Broken Soldier
Episode 5: This is not Human Nature
Episode 6: No Longer a Monster

Join the network and spread the word!
ADD US ON...
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
"SHARE" US...
WWW.THISISWHEREWETAKEOURSTAND.COM

Where's the debate?
Are we watching passively while Barack Obama carries out the same policies as George W. Bush?
When an American bombing raid this May killed over two hundred civilians in a village in Afghanistan, it was met with a deafening silence. When Obama's promised "withdrawal" from Iraq leaves 130,000 troops there for at least two more years and 50,000 permanently, it's hailed as an end to the occupation. And who is demanding to know just what the mission really is when 30,000 more troops are sent to Afghanistan?

Where's the debate?
In March of 2008, two hundred and fifty veterans and active duty soldiers marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by gathering in Washington, DC, to testify from their own experience about the nature of the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. It was chilling, horrifying, and challenging for all who witnessed it. Against tremendous odds, they brought the voices of the veterans themselves into the debate. That was then.

This is now. Today, we present to you This is Where We Take Our Stand, the inside story of those three days and the courageous men and women who testified. And we present this story today, told in six episodes, because we believe it is as relevant now as it was one year ago. Maybe more.

Here is our challenge to you: Watch the series; spread it far and wide; and ask yourself is this about the past, or the present and future. Then add your voice.

If you are a veteran or active duty, present your own testimony. If you are not, but you are still a living, breathing member of the human race, then do whatever you can to join and fan the flames of debate.

- David Zeiger, Director of Sir! No Sir! & Bestor Cram, Director of Unfinished Symphony

QUOTE

http://www.ivaw.org/node/5464

http://www.ivaw.org/

October is Afghanistan Awareness Month

This week, President Obama and the military establishment are discussing their plans for escalation in Afghanistan. But their perspective does not take into account the high human cost of the occupation, and the soldiers, Marines, and Afghan people who are paying the price for over 8 years of disastrous military policy.

On October 7th we entered the 9th year of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Throughout the month of October, IVAW will be highlighting the stories of our members who have served there, and those who have refused to go. Stay tuned for blog entries and audio podcasts of their first-hand experiences and what made them turn against the war.

IVAW chapters around the country also will be holding college teach-ins and other educational events to share what they know about the Afghanistan occupation.

We hope to bury the myth, once-and-for-all, that Afghanistan is "the Good War," because too many Amercans are still on the fence about it.

Now is the time to sharpen debate and broaden consensus that the U.S. must get out of Afghanistan.

Here's how you can help:

Are there nagging questions you have about Afghanistan you would like our veterans to answer? Email your questions to amadee@ivaw.org.
Sign up to become a sustaining donor of IVAW with a monthly or quarterly donation. Your regular contribution will help sustain our important work in these extremely difficult economic times. Please help us meet our October goal of getting 250 sustainers. Sign up for as little as $10 per month today by clicking here.

Thank you for being involved. Your participation in this campaign is critical.

Iraq Veterans Against the War
.

believe_it

Oct 10 2009, 04:19 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j9fchmfBqo
Leonard Cohen - Avalanche (studio)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-oLmOm9vk0
Leonard Cohen - Avalanche (live)

(undeserved for these brave soldiers...on that other thread)

Livyjr

Oct 10 2009, 04:23 PM

Keep standing up for what you believe in as you are doing, believe_it ....

The world is listening ....

Whether they heed or not remains to be seen ....

But that is for tomarrow ,,,,

And this is for today ....

And so ...

believe_it

Oct 10 2009, 07:06 PM

We're all learning from each other. Tip of the hat to you.
If not for your post above, I wouldn't have visited http://sirnosir.com/ today and discovered the new film.

Thank you!

Livyjr

Oct 11 2009, 05:15 AM

I have found over the last forty years that America is a tough place to be in if you don't believe in the killing of people in other countries ....

Or killing at all, in my case ....

And so ...

believe_it

Oct 11 2009, 07:48 AM

QUOTE(Livyjr @ Oct 11 2009, 07:15 AM)

I have found over the last forty years that America is a tough place to be in if you don't believe in the killing of people in other countries ....

Or killing at all, in my case ....

And so ...

Not so, just ignore the media and hype the like-minded.

believe_it

Oct 11 2009, 08:00 AM

I'll have to try to dig out those aerial photos from the unreported DC anti-war marches.

believe_it

Oct 11 2009, 08:43 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_24,...nti-war_protest
September 24, 2005
Protesters from around the country joined a march in Washington, D.C. organized by ANSWER Coalition and United for Peace and Justice to promote peace and an end to the war in Iraq. Organizers claim that around 250,000 people attended the demonstration. Police said that 150,000 was "as good a guess as any". [1] C-SPAN, which broadcast the pre-march speeches, is said to have estimated 500,000.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_27,_2...nti-war_protest
January 27, 2007
...UFPJ had hoped for up to a million people attending,[citation needed] and it was announced at the protest that aerial photography had estimated that at least 500,000 showed up. The Associated Press has stated that the march drew "tens of thousands."

Livyjr

Oct 11 2009, 03:05 PM

QUOTE(believe_it @ Oct 11 2009, 07:48 AM)

QUOTE(Livyjr @ Oct 11 2009, 07:15 AM)

I have found over the last forty years that America is a tough place to be in if you don't believe in the killing of people in other countries ....

Or killing at all, in my case ....

And so ...

Not so, just ignore the media and hype the like-minded.

It has nothing to do with the media ....

It has to do with the people that I am surrounded with in real life ....

And so ...

believe_it

Oct 12 2009, 07:48 AM

QUOTE(Livyjr @ Oct 11 2009, 05:05 PM)

It has nothing to do with the media ....

It has to do with the people that I am surrounded with in real life ....

And so ...

Alright, so please show them or tell them about the online documentary, 'This is Where We Take Our Stand':

QUOTE

If you want to end the silence about Iraq and Afghanistan, the series you've been waiting for is here!

The full series is now on line. Click on a title to watch each individual episode:

Episode 1: For Those Who Would Judge Me
Episode 2: Rules of Engagement
Episode 3: Why We Fight
Episode 4: Broken Soldier
Episode 5: This is not Human Nature
Episode 6: No Longer a Monster

.

QUOTE

http://www.sirnosir.com/

...Where's the debate?
In March of 2008, two hundred and fifty veterans and active duty soldiers marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by gathering in Washington, DC, to testify from their own experience about the nature of the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. It was chilling, horrifying, and challenging for all who witnessed it. Against tremendous odds, they brought the voices of the veterans themselves into the debate. That was then.

This is now. Today, we present to you This is Where We Take Our Stand, the inside story of those three days and the courageous men and women who testified. And we present this story today, told in six episodes, because we believe it is as relevant now as it was one year ago. Maybe more.

Here is our challenge to you: Watch the series; spread it far and wide; and ask yourself is this about the past, or the present and future. Then add your voice.

If you are a veteran or active duty, present your own testimony. If you are not, but you are still a living, breathing member of the human race, then do whatever you can to join and fan the flames of debate.
- David Zeiger, Director of Sir! No Sir! & Bestor Cram, Director of Unfinished Symphony
.

believe_it

Oct 15 2009, 09:00 AM

QUOTE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-glantz...e_b_322185.html

Report: 30,000 Single Mothers Deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan

Aaron Glantz.Author, The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans
Posted: October 15, 2009 10:22 AM

More than 30,000 single mothers have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army, the most heavily deployed branch of the military, gives women just four months to stay stateside with their newborns before deploying to the war zone, leaving them little time to bond with or nurse their infants.

The divorce rate for female soldiers is nearly triple that of the men who wear the same uniform.

These are just a few of the unsettling statistics contained in a new report (Women Wariors: Supporting 'She Who Has Borne the Battle') published Wednesday by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, http://iava.org/ ,the nation's first and largest organization representing Americans who've served since Sept. 11, 2001.

Find out more in my report from New America Media: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_...6de63f357ce44db

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_...6de63f357ce44db
Divorce Rate Triple for U.S. Female Soldiers, Report Finds
New America Media, News Report, Aaron Glantz, Posted: Oct 15, 2009

http://media.iava.org/IAVA_WomensReport_2009.pdf
Women Wariors: Supporting 'She Who Has Borne the Battle'
by Erin Mulhall

.

Note:

is distinct from

but both groups are endeavoring to inform the American public and policymakers about important issues.

believe_it

Oct 23 2009, 12:06 PM

HEATED debate here:

QUOTE

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#33439056

HARDBALL: October 22, 2009
Cheney criticizes Obama on Afghanstan (14:53)

.

This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.