Letters to the Editor
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The right fight to fight
I totally agree with those who say that soldiers should not be forced to commit criminal acts, whether they are criminal from a literally legal point of view or from a moral one. However, the US military is a volunteer force and regardless of one's motivations for joining up a commitment has been made. While I admire those soldiers who choose not to fight, the decision to walk away does not, and should not, come without consequences and desertion from a volunteer army certainly does not qualify anyone for refuge status.
I whole heartedly support any soldier who feels that this war is a monstrous waste of lives, but fleeing to Canada or anywhere else does nothing to help out the other soldiers that the deserter presumably feels are also fighting the wrong war. If you're going to leave your colleagues on the battlefield then you'd better have the balls to stand and fight for them in some other way. These soldiers can use their desertion for a purpose.
Of course, it's easy for me to say as I will never have to make this choice myself but it seems that staying in the US to remain visible and protest loudly would be the most honorable and bravest thing a soldier could do. He or she may end up in jail, but at least the right fight would be fought and when all this is over the soldier can say that, yes, he or she did make sacrifices and they were the right ones.