[Peace-discussion] FW: Kicking ass ....
Joni LeViness
myths16@cox.net
Wed, 7 Feb 2007 13:01:43 -0600
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I worked with Mary Francis on the Voters Unite Mythbreakers in 2004. She's a
wonderful woman!
Thought you all might be heartened by this.
Peace and Joy,
joni
_____
From: roger harkness [mailto:okcitykid@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 8:49 AM
To: lysara@cox.net
Subject: Re: Kicking ass ....
THANKS MARY
I still think they will find him guilty, but when they do, it will be with
egg on their face.
KEEP SENDING THE REPORTS.
What you send us I'm sure we will not read in main stream media and I'll
post it on my blog so everyone can see what went down in the court room.
http://okcitykid.bravejournal.com/entry/25659
THANKS
Roger the Okcitykid
On 2/7/07, Mary Francis <mfrancis1@earthlink.net> wrote:
Hi Roger,
I am at Ft. Lewis at the Lt. Watada trial. I was in the courtroom
today and WE KICKED ASS!!!
The prosecutors are 2 young (35?) guys up against Lt. Watata's atty,
Eric Seitz who has 40 years of experience in military law defending
war resisters and COs ... Seitz is OUTSTANDING!!!!!
The prosecution called 3 witnesses and then after cross and recross,
they rested their case. Tomorrow we go back for the start of Lt. Watada's
turn. The judge has tried to keep out all testimony of why Lt. W refused to
go to
Iraq. But Seitz has gotten some of it in and the prosecution did us a big
favor when they showed the video's of Watada's public statements, especially
the one where he spoke to the Veterans for Peace!
Another advantage is that (unlike regular civil juries) these military
jurors
are allowed to ask questions!!!
At one point, Seitz got the witness to reaffirm that he was upset at
the public statement Watada made and that he lost respect. and believed
Watada was not a good leader and would have a detrimental effect on
younger soldiers.
So then Seitz said asked "If you thought he was not a good leader, then
why deploy him to Iraq to lead his unit? Why not let him resign his
commission as he asked to do?
Gee ... he just sat there and didn't have an answer for that one!
Another witness, Lt. Col. Antonia, who said Watada's public statements
"disgusted" him, was asked to tell what statement that was. He said that
"He called the Commander-In-Chief a liar." Seitz established that Watada
had NOT said Bush was a liar, but that the Lt. and majority of Americans
believed the war was started based on lies.
Then Seitz asked, "What would you expect an officer to do if an order,
in his opinion, was illegal?" The Lt. Col obviously didn't want to answer,
but finally said, "I would expect him to disobey the order."
This is such fun ... watching the military squirm. I'm afraid however,
that the jurors (7 officers) will simply ignore logic and even the
prosecution witness' testimony of his "integrity" and the fact that he was "
a quality officer"
and convict anyway because of pressure from up the chain. Sigh....
After lunch, the jurors were given copies of the letters entered as evidence
for the purpose of showing what extraordinary efforts Lt. Watada had made
between Jan 2006 and June 7, 2006 in trying to resolve the deployment
conflict within the military process. He had first offered to resign his
commission, they refused. Then he offered to go to Afganistan or to any
other war-zone but not to Iraq because that war was illegal and he would be
committing war crimes if he took his men there. They refused. He followed
all orders, made his plans known to the public affairs officer as ordered.
The next witness had counseled Lt. Watada. "I said to him 'do not make
a young man's mistake or undervalue the investment you have as a
commissioned officer. I said, take time, think about it and come back
with a 5 year plan. I told him he is the leader, we rely on him, he was
needed,
there was not another officer with whom the unit had the trust they needed."
But then they removed him from his regular duties. This took him away from
the men he was supposed to be "bonded" with. Question from Seitz, "Didn't
this transfer, break the bond you want an officer to establish?"
Oooops ... another embarrassing question. But finally the witness, Lt. Col,
William James said, "Yes."
The final question to Lt. Col. James was "If someone reaches a position of
conscience, that he asked to do something he has found immoral, and refuses,
is that immoral?" Judge Head immediately stopped an answer and didn't
even wait for the prosecution to object. He said, "you can not ask that
question,
rephrase it." So then Seitz asked, "Would you expect an officer to violate
the dictates of their conscience?" (oh, my ...)
"No." said the Lt. Col.
Yup ... we seriously kicked ass today.
Love and Hugs,
Mary Francis
home: 405 310-6399
cell: 405 474-0695
"The political pendulum is starting its return swing. Now is the time to be
heard."
-Rita Brock
"Now is the time to speak truth to religious charlatans." -Mary
Francis
"If airplane code were written to the same standards of reliability as
voting
machines, every day about 10 planes flying out of Baltimore/Washington
International would experience a software failure during flight."
- Justin Moore, Duke University
Software Analyst
"If you like your freedoms, ... thank a protester."
-Brian Terrell, farmer and director of the Catholic Peace
Ministry
He references the abolitionist, labor, women's suffrage and
civil rights
movements as evidence that civil disobedience plays an
important role
in social change.
--
http://www.okcitykid.braveblog.com
NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency
may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do
this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor
protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.
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<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D656180019-07022007>I worked with Mary Francis on the Voters =
Unite=20
Mythbreakers in 2004. She's a wonderful woman!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D656180019-07022007>Thought you all might be heartened by=20
this.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D656180019-07022007>Peace and Joy,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D656180019-07022007>joni</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>
<HR tabIndex=3D-1>
<FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><B>From:</B> roger harkness=20
[mailto:okcitykid@gmail.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 07, =
2007 8:49=20
AM<BR><B>To:</B> lysara@cox.net<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Kicking ass=20
....<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>THANKS MARY</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I still think they will find him guilty, but when they do, it will =
be with=20
egg on their face.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>KEEP SENDING THE REPORTS.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What you send us I'm sure we will not read in main stream media and =
I'll=20
post it on my blog so everyone can see what went down in the court =
room.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A=20
href=3D"http://okcitykid.bravejournal.com/entry/25659">http://okcitykid.b=
ravejournal.com/entry/25659</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>THANKS</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Roger the Okcitykid<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dgmail_quote>On 2/7/07, <B =
class=3Dgmail_sendername>Mary=20
Francis</B> <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:mfrancis1@earthlink.net">mfrancis1@earthlink.net</A>>=20
wrote:</SPAN>=20
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dgmail_quote=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc =
1px solid">Hi=20
Roger,<BR><BR>I am at Ft. Lewis at the Lt. Watada trial. I =
was in=20
the courtroom<BR>today and WE KICKED ASS!!! <BR>The prosecutors are 2 =
young=20
(35?) guys up against Lt. Watata's atty,<BR>Eric Seitz who has 40 =
years of=20
experience in military law defending<BR>war resisters and COs ... =
Seitz is=20
OUTSTANDING!!!!!<BR><BR>The prosecution called 3 witnesses and then =
after=20
cross and recross, <BR>they rested their case. Tomorrow we =
go back=20
for the start of Lt. Watada's<BR>turn. The judge has tried =
to keep=20
out all testimony of why Lt. W refused to go =
to<BR>Iraq. But Seitz=20
has gotten some of it in and the prosecution did us a big <BR>favor =
when they=20
showed the video's of Watada's public statements, especially<BR>the =
one where=20
he spoke to the Veterans for Peace!<BR>Another advantage is that =
(unlike=20
regular civil juries) these military jurors <BR>are allowed =
to ask=20
questions!!!<BR><BR>At one point, Seitz got the witness to reaffirm =
that he=20
was upset at<BR>the public statement Watada made and that he lost =
respect. and=20
believed<BR>Watada was not a good leader and would have a detrimental =
effect=20
on <BR>younger soldiers.<BR><BR>So then Seitz said asked "If you =
thought he=20
was not a good leader, then<BR>why deploy him to Iraq to lead his=20
unit? Why not let him resign his<BR>commission as he asked =
to=20
do?<BR><BR>Gee ... he just sat there and didn't have an answer for =
that one!=20
<BR><BR>Another witness, Lt. Col. Antonia, who said Watada's public=20
statements<BR>"disgusted" him, was asked to tell what statement that=20
was. He said that<BR>"He called the Commander-In-Chief a=20
liar." Seitz established that Watada <BR>had NOT said Bush =
was a=20
liar, but that the Lt. and majority of Americans<BR>believed the war =
was=20
started based on lies.<BR>Then Seitz asked, "What would you expect an =
officer=20
to do if an order,<BR>in his opinion, was illegal?" The Lt. =
Col=20
obviously didn't want to answer, <BR>but finally said, "I would expect =
him to=20
disobey the order."<BR><BR>This is such fun ... watching the military=20
squirm. I'm afraid however,<BR>that the jurors (7 officers) =
will=20
simply ignore logic and even the prosecution witness' testimony of his =
"integrity" and the fact that he was " a quality officer" <BR>and =
convict=20
anyway because of pressure from up the =
chain. Sigh....<BR><BR>After=20
lunch, the jurors were given copies of the letters entered as =
evidence<BR>for=20
the purpose of showing what extraordinary efforts Lt. Watada had made =
between=20
Jan 2006 and June 7, 2006 in trying to resolve the deployment =
<BR>conflict=20
within the military process. He had first offered to resign =
his<BR>commission, they refused. Then he offered to go to=20
Afganistan or to any<BR>other war-zone but not to Iraq because that =
war was=20
illegal and he would be committing war crimes if he took his men=20
there. They refused. He followed <BR>all orders, =
made=20
his plans known to the public affairs officer as ordered.<BR>The next =
witness=20
had counseled Lt. Watada. "I said to him 'do not make<BR>a =
young=20
man's mistake or undervalue the investment you have as a =
<BR>commissioned=20
officer. I said, take time, think about it and come =
back<BR>with a=20
5 year plan. I told him he is the leader, we rely on him, =
he was=20
needed,<BR>there was not another officer with whom the unit had the =
trust they=20
needed." <BR><BR>But then they removed him from his regular=20
duties. This took him away from<BR>the men he was supposed =
to be=20
"bonded" with. Question from Seitz, "Didn't<BR>this =
transfer, break=20
the bond you want an officer to establish?" <BR>Oooops ... another=20
embarrassing question. But finally the witness, Lt. =
Col,<BR>William=20
James said, "Yes."<BR><BR>The final question to Lt. Col. James was "If =
someone=20
reaches a position of<BR>conscience, that he asked to do something he =
has=20
found immoral, and refuses, <BR>is that immoral?" Judge =
Head=20
immediately stopped an answer and didn't<BR>even wait for the =
prosecution to=20
object. He said, "you can not ask that =
question,<BR>rephrase=20
it." So then Seitz asked, "Would you expect an officer to =
violate=20
<BR>the dictates of their conscience?" (oh, my =
...)<BR>"No." said the Lt. Col.<BR><BR>Yup ... we seriously kicked ass =
today.<BR>Love and Hugs,<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Mary Francis<BR>home: 405=20
310-6399<BR>cell: 405 474-0695 <BR><BR>"The political pendulum is =
starting its=20
return swing. Now is the time to be=20
=
heard."<BR> &n=
bsp; &nb=
sp; &nbs=
p;  =
; =
&=
nbsp; &n=
bsp; =20
-Rita Brock<BR><BR> "Now is the =
time to=20
speak truth to religious charlatans." -Mary Francis =
<BR><BR>"If=20
airplane code were written to the same standards of reliability as=20
voting<BR>machines, every day about 10 planes flying out of=20
Baltimore/Washington<BR>International would experience a software =
failure=20
during flight."=20
=
<BR> &nb=
sp; &nbs=
p;  =
; =20
- Justin Moore, Duke University Software Analyst<BR><BR><BR>"If you =
like your=20
freedoms, ... thank a=20
=
protester."<BR> &nbs=
p; =20
-Brian Terrell, farmer and director of the Catholic Peace Ministry=20
=
<BR> &nb=
sp; He=20
references the abolitionist, labor, women's suffrage and civil=20
=
rights<BR> &nb=
sp; movements=20
as evidence that civil disobedience plays an important=20
=
role<BR>  =
; in=20
social change.<BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR =
clear=3Dall><BR>--=20
<BR><BR><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.okcitykid.braveblog.com">http://www.okcitykid.braveblo=
g.com</A><BR><BR>NOTICE:=20
Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency =
<BR>may have=20
read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this =
without=20
any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor =
protection save=20
to call for the impeachment of the current President. </BODY></HTML>
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