Mejia’s ‘Regaining My Humanity’
A really impressive essay, written from prison by the now-freed Camilo Mejia, on why he refused to continue fighting in Iraq: Regaining my humanity.
I say without any pride that I did my job as a soldier. I commanded an infantry squad in combat and we never failed to accomplish our mission. But those who called me a coward, without knowing it, are also right. I was a coward not for leaving the war, but for having been a part of it in the first place. Refusing and resisting this war was my moral duty, a moral duty that called me to take a principled action. I failed to fulfill my moral duty as a human being and instead I chose to fulfill my duty as a soldier. All because I was afraid. I was terrified, I did not want to stand up to the government and the army, I was afraid of punishment and humiliation. I went to war because at the moment I was a coward, and for that I apologize to my soldiers for not being the type of leader I should have been.
February 26th, 2005 at 9:54 am
The only ones you will have dissapointed are the ones who get off on killing, and use war as a means to justify the need to kill. If one person kills someone in America they are tried in a court of law. When a group organizes to kill many, there is no trial. It becomes a means for war! Some humans seem very prone to revenge. So I wonder why the American people have never stopped to really question “Why do people from the middle east want revenge on America. What has really been going on there? MRI the leaders of the world! The people of earth deserve truthful heads at the top of the heirarchy. By MRI’ing them, you will be able to weed out the war mongers and put people in power who truly have the well being of humanity in mind. Leaders who insists on killing others because that is what was done to them. That is a mind clouded with hate when someone does wrong to them. How can anyone allow a mind like that to lead them, unless it is because like minds can relate to one another!
I respect your honesty. Military should only be used as a last resort to defend. Not to go on the offensive. To me that is an abuse of power. America could crush the entire middle east from home with computers. But that wouldn’t justify where all the tax money goes. Guns, tanks, ammunition. Physical things that need to be restockpiled after tossing most of them on weak countries. Then the Americans will believe that tax money goes to defence! Folks, your on the offensive if you hadn’t noticed. So really the American people are paying taxes to go on the offensive! With the billions of dollars that has been invested in the last 30 years into DEFENCE. Isn’t it odd that all that money couldn’t actually defend? Maybe it’s from taking all that money and using it for offensive weapons! Hmmmmmm
February 27th, 2005 at 3:42 pm
“So I wonder why the American people have never stopped to really question…”
Trust me, many of us do question and resist the actions of our government. Don’t judge all American’s by the behavior of the American government. Admittedly, many of us are to blame for what is happening, but not all of us, not by a long shot.
March 16th, 2005 at 9:41 am
Yeah! That’s a great idea! Let’s go on the offensive!
Seriously, if I was sure we had the soldiers and the guns and the supplies, I’d support taking over Iran and north korea.
June 17th, 2005 at 8:30 am
“So I wonder why (Please note how “all” was not included in this sentence here) the American people have never stopped to really question…”
And after all this time the only two responses still make the country look like a 50/50 split. The whole Western world seems torn between either war or corruption! War with America. Corruption with Canada. Go West Go