Dear all in this beloved community:

I wonder if it is possible for all of the various groups and individuals who are interested in military matters to act in concert to get legislation enacted in Washington State? The focus of the legislation would be on rights of soldiers, services and support to military. As Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" showed, it can be powerful and effective to advance a list of somewhat connected legislative issues under a larger banner. So, with a tip of the hat to Gingrich on form if not substance, I have been thinking of the following model:

Washington State GI Bill - Troop Support is not just a Bumper Sticker

1. Washington State troops have a right to access medical care and counseling services after service in combat or contaminated areas.

I don't want to parse the language of declared war, police actions, "peacekeeping" services etc., if a Washington State soldier has worked in an area where they might experience exposure to depleted uranium (DU), or step on a landmine or improvised explosive device, or have to consider shooting another person on a day to day basis, then I think the need for access to medical care and counseling should apply. The access to medical care would start with the testing of exposure to DU. A piece of legislation is already underway on DU testing and has been supported by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy (FCWPP) and Veterans for Peace and possibly other groups. DU testing is a good place to start, but we also need to guarantee counseling for PTSD, and other medical care. The access to medical care might be managed as expanded support from the Washington State Veterans Affairs office to help returning soldiers access federal VA medical care. There is so much to say on this, but a campaign would require that we keep the pitch brief and let the interested groups shepherd the details at the Legislature.

2. Washington State soldiers have an absolute right to their conscience. Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and the Quakers are already active in this area to a certain extent, but the case of Kevin Benderman makes it clear that the military has not recognized the right of an individual soldier to have an awakening of conscience and to be able to convert to non-combatant service easily.

3. The Washington State National Guard is not a back-door draft.

Washington National Guard Troops should not be federalized and deployed by the Federal Government except in extraordinary circumstances. I am thinking that extraordinary circumstance would include a formal declaration of war by Congress, but maybe not an authorization to use military force or for peacekeeping or police actions. Extraordinary circumstances would also include deployment for national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. That is a completely reasonable use of the Washington National Guard. If a military action is so significant that it cannot be managed by the regular military forces, then maybe it is incumbent upon Congress to consider a declaration of war instead of writing a military blank check as they did with the Gulf of Tonkin resolution for Vietnam or the Authorization to Use Military Force to enforce the UN sanctions against Iraq. I am one of the group of people who have been working on this with petitions to the governor, vigil at the Capitol campus, and more.

4. Washington State soldiers have a right to economic and employment support as they resume their lives after their military service. This is especially true for the Washington National Guard as their economic and family lives may have been ravaged by their deployment, but it is almost certainly true for regular army soldiers also as they return from service in a combat or contaminated zone and leave the military for another type of worklife. The bankruptcy reform law of 2005 includes an exception for veterans receiving disability income, but it is a straw man. It applies if a soldier is sufficiently injured to receive a VA disability pension and if their bankruptcy debts were accrued during their service. The narrow definition tells you that the Federal Congress wanted to say they had done something for the soldiers, but they didn't want the action to have any real consequence to the budget or tax cuts or to the credit card industry. A bumper sticker would have done almost as much as this exemption. I am thinking of an increase or extension of unemployment benefits for returning soldiers or soldiers opting out for reasons of conscience and are transitioning from being soldiers. I think this item should include education benefits and job retraining. Maybe the State (us) would pay tuition at community colleges towards a degree or certificate to help with transition from soldier to citizen. I don't know of any group working on this type of service at this time, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't happening.

Education groups around the state, especially the community colleges might be interested in being part of a coalition that includes this kind of benefit. The connection between leaving the military as a matter of conscience and the right to access this service should be protected. As a state I think we should encourage citizens to act on their conscience.

If that means a soldier might decide to quit the military and become a nurse or welder or teacher instead, I personally think that is a good outcome for us all.

There are probably more basic rights that I am overlooking as I write this, but need to get the idea out and see if there is any interest.

Also, need to head off to work for a few hours.

Namaste,

Mike