Jeremy Hinzman, US Army Deserter, had his day before the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board yesterday. He is seeking "refugee" status to be allowed to live in Canada rather than return to United States and live out the consequences of his actions. He feels that after deserting his country in a time of war he would be unduly persecuted.
What would happen is that the US Army would arrest him and hold a trial according to the US Military Code of Justice. He would be tried in a court of law. A lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges resulting from a possible conviction. If convicted, he faces a jail sentence and a dishonourable discharge at the minimum. The maximum penalty imposed would be execution. No US soldier has been executed for desertion since 1945 in the United States.
What would happen if Mr. Hinzman had volunteered to join the Canadian Armed Forces and disagreed with his orders in a time of war and deserted his country? Well, he would be arrested, charged according to the Canadian Military Code of Justice, a lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges, and if convicted the minimun sentence would be a jail term and a dishonourable discharge. The maximum penalty would be that he could be executed. Yes, even though Canadian Criminal Code offences do not carry a death penalty, soldiers in Canada come under the Military Code of Justice which still allows for the death penalty to be executed for Capital Offences. Desertion is a capital offence.
Mr. Hinzman wants us to believe that he is standing up for his principles, and he wants Canadians to shelter him from the consequences of his actions. He somehow wants us to believe that he is an honourable man.
Mohammad Ali was faced with a similar dilemma. He was drafted by the US Army during the Vietnam war. He filed consciencious objector status. His claim was denied. He still refused to serve and he lived out the consequences of his actions, he did not run away to Canada, instead he went to jail. But there are other differences. Mohammad Ali was drafted. He did not freely volunteer to join the US Army, he was DRAFTED, he had no choice. He did not take the US Army's nickel, he did not take the US Army's medical or dental care benefits, he did not benefit from subsidized food prices at US Army PX stores, he did not benefit from US Army's housing. He did not run away from the consequences of his actions. He did not run away to Canada. He went to jail and he was fully prepared to live out the consequences of his actions. He understood that standing up for your principles does not mean running away from the consequences of those actions. He was a man. I may not agree with Mohammad Ali's principles, I may disagree with his opinion of the Vietnam war but I will not call him a cowardly weasel, or parasite, or a blight on the backs of decent hard working people. If I met Mohammad Ali I would not be tempted to spit on him or call him names or let the Last Amazon deal out her own brand of Military Justice.
Jeremy Hinzman volunteered to join the US Army. That's right he signed on the dotted line. No one forced him or threatened bodily harm to him if he did not join the US Army. He thought it was a great deal. Subsidized housing, food, medical and dental care, a pay cheque, and money for college. One day Jeremy Hinzman decided he didn't agree with his orders and felt that his Commanders did not have the right to tell him who, where or when to fight. As a private in the US Army he felt he should have that choice. This time he ran away to Canada. He claims that the war is based on lies to the American public, that it is a war for oil and therefore he does not have to honour his commitments.
But the real issue is not whether this war is just or not. The issue is that Mr. Hinzman signed up to be a soldier, he took all the perks of being a soldier but was not willing to take on the responsibilities of being a soldier when called to arms. He claims that the army recruiters misled him into being a soldier. The recruiters have too slick of a marketing plan. He was too naive to understand what being a soldier meant that one day he may have to kill people. He couldn't grasp what my 10 year old son already understands, that being a soldier means; that you pray for peace and prepare for war, that when called to arms, you fight, and fight to kill.
Mr. Hinzman wants a free ride; he thinks he is heroic in standing up for his beliefs and running away from the consequences of those beliefs. He feels entitled to live a free man in my country, as a potential refugee with all the perks while he is waiting for his hearing: welfare, subsidized housing, and free medical care. And if his claim for refugee status fails, he will apply to stay on the "Compassionate & Humanitarian" grounds.
This year my 12 year old son had a teacher he really liked. During the school year his teacher answered his reserve call out to go to Afghanistan to fight. My son lost his beloved teacher. Montana hopes and prays for his teacher's safe return. My son's teacher is a Canadian and a citizen soldier. Mr. Hinzman wants all the benefits of citizenship but without any of the responsibilities of citizenship. When we sing the national anthem of Canada, we sing "WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE". Mr. Hinzman, that means when the call goes out for us to take up arms we will, and we will fight to kill. Canadian soldiers don't get to pick and choose their wars. They serve at the discretion of their leaders.
As a Canadian whose family has spilled their blood on the soil of foreign nations in the cause of freedom, I am outraged that your claim is even being heard. You are a disgrace to your own country. You sully the name of all legitimate "refugees" by your bogus claims in my country. I would urge all Canadians to write to their Members of Parliament expressing their outrage at your presence in this country. You are a man devoid of the slightest vestige of honour, duty or fidelity. You are nothing more or less than a parasite on back of all Canadians.
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