Birth of an anti-war activist.

Was conversing with some other vets online, and this is what came out:

I don't regret my service, it has allowed me to see the military for what it is. The good is the people in the military. The bad is the people & institutions behind the military. I was a pawn. We all were.

I've come full circle and now I find myself vehemently opposing war. I do it not for my own vengeance, but for people like my kid brother who keeps getting deployed, as well as for the best people I've ever known who also keep getting deployed. I do it for the people of the countries our men & women are deployed to. I am an advocate for veterans. I work all the time for veterans' issues. I departed the military wanting nothing to do with it ever again. Then I increasingly saw what was happening to our military & military veterans.

I've become an activist. When I joined nine years ago I wouldn't in a million years expect to be where I am now.

I signed up the week before 9/11. I joined the military, completed 2 years of schools, and was pursuing an officer commission. I planned to remain for a long long time. 

My change of heart is due to my hunger for knowledge & my reading habit. I know now that much of the US' actions veiled with flag-waving patriotism are machinations of empire. I am an anti-war activist because I value my country, countrymen, & family. I am now atheist but I was brought up in a Christian household and the ethical values still remain. I took an oath to support & defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign & domestic. I abhor the disgusting balance of power & money that is running our country into the ground.

I'm active with Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War. I know the history of the FBI and the things they have done to anti-war activists. But I can't live honestly with myself unless I speak for my beliefs.

A post I added to a military thread on SuicideGirls.

Hey gangsters & gangsteresses. I'm Joshua & I was a Navy Aegis Fire Controlman (Missiles) for six years. Worked on the test platform for Tomahawk block IV missiles, as well as on Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense with the the SM-3 anti-ICBM missiles.


Proud of my service, but have come to realize that our country's use of our tax dollars to send war to every corner of the planet in order to preserve our economic dominance is against everything I stand for. No offense to my brothers & sisters out there putting their ass on the line. Two of my brothers have done tours in Iraq & I work tirelessly for veterans rights/benefits/recognition. Mad respect.

If you guys happen to be questioning things like I am, you're in a very good position to have your voice heard. You've walked the walk, seen the shit, & know what's up. Consider getting involved with Veterans For Peace (http://www.veteransforpeace.org/) or Iraq Veterans Against The War (http://www.ivaw.org/).