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Monica Benderman

  • IN TRUTH
    28 December 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    1 comment

    by Kevin and Monica Benderman
    “”George W. Bush
    When are you going to tell the truth to the people of the United States? Why don’t you tell them why you want to be in Iraq so bad? I was there for six months and I did not see the first weapon of mass destruction. I did receive orders from the company commander to shoot children if they threw small rocks at us and that was when I figured out that the entire thing was way over the line.
    Over 1200 soldiers have died in Iraq so that you can (…)

  • Who Made America Right?
    28 December 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    3 comments

    by Monica Benderman
    War — Guns, tanks, chemical weapons, killing, devastation, inhumanity.
    Why do we go to war? Why does anyone pursue another to the point of war?
    Forget who instigated it. At war - both sides kill. Soldiers are told their side is right - they are given guns and ordered to kill as many on the other side as possible because the “other side” is wrong.
    WHO exactly tells us we are right?
    Who is it that has decided that our side is right?
    Some blame a president. (…)

  • Wake Up America
    13 November 2005 par (Open-Publishing)

    by Monica Benderman
    Wake up, America... stop believing in the illusion
    Americans blindly move through the fog, running from themselves, believing in saviors who will pull them above the fray just before they go over the edge. We don’t face anything head-on. When the going gets tough, Americans go drinking. We have Prozac, Zyprexa, Ambien, Xanex - and a world of chemicals to thicken the fog. There’s the building on the hill where we gather to pray for forgiveness from our sins and (…)

  • In the Name of Justice
    3 November 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    2 comments

    by Monica Benderman
    Kevin Benderman sits in jail. An injustice. He did not want to go. He did not take his stand, break a law and dare the courts to put him in jail with a stiff sentence. Kevin Benderman put his principles on the line and dared to trust that his rights would be respected as the constitution he fought to defend demands.
    Kevin Benderman did everything he could to demonstrate to the military, and to the world, that he did not want to go to jail, by consistently (…)

  • THE INCOMPETENT CONSPIRACY
    2 November 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    6 comments

    by Monica Benderman
    As we watch the events of our lives unfold millions of people breathe the word “conspiracy” as if everyone is out to get them. Why?
    The only conspiracy is the conspiracy of incompetence.
    It begins by being afraid - very, very afraid. Of what - the men with guns? That happens later, much later. This fear is far more simplistic, and it truly threatens your way of life.
    The conspiracy begins with very small people living in fear of being discovered - to protect (…)

  • THE GAME IS NOT LIFE
    30 October 2005 par (Open-Publishing)

    by Monica Benderman
    It’s been two and a half years. There are almost 2000 soldiers deaths officially accounted for. How many family members does that come to? Is there a number?
    The war has cost billions. Where did it all go? Is there an accurate number?
    There are thousands of Iraqi causalties. Does anyone know their names? Has anyone counted?
    In the wars before, history tells of the great loss of life the monetary cost. Are there numbers we can trust?
    Hundreds of thousands (…)

  • From Chaos to Conscience to Peace
    28 October 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    4 comments

    by Monica Benderman
    Please visit Sgt. Benderman’s website, www.BendermanTimeline.com for a chronology of events, complete with documentation, leading to his court martial, along with a continuous discussion about Conscientious Objection and veterans’ issues.
    On July 27, 2005, Sgt. Kevin Benderman was found guilty of Missing Movement and sentenced to 15 months confinement, loss of pay and dishonorable discharge. In actuality, Sgt. Benderman’s crime was daring to tell the truth, and daring (…)

  • Kevin Benderman : "Moral Courage"
    7 September 2005 par (Open-Publishing)

    From Sgt. Kevin Benderman "I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage."
    by Monica Benderman
    These words come directly from the NCO creed, which I swore to uphold as a member of the US Army. When I filed for Conscientious Objector status, it was after careful consideration of my duty to my wife, my step-children, my country and the soldiers I served with. But before I could consider all of this, I had to consider myself. I had to ensure that my actions did not compromise (…)

  • The Roller Coaster Ride
    31 August 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    2 comments

    By Monica Benderman
    In an amusement park that I used to take our kids to, there was a roller coaster ride called the “Corkscrew.” It turned, and twisted and even reversed itself and went backwards after the first full cycle of track was completed. We would stand in line for an hour just to have a 3 minute ride, only to get back in the hour long line and do it again. We paid for this, and at the end of the day, I wondered why as we left the park with heads spinning and knees trying to (…)

  • Where is Peace?
    26 August 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
    2 comments

    by Monica Benderman War is promoted. Anti-war responds. Anti-war protests. War counters. Somewhere in the middle is the truth. Peace. Freedom to make a choice.
    Sgt. Kevin Benderman sits in confinement at Ft. Lewis, Washington. His crime? Making a choice. He chose Peace.
    It’s not about one side winning and the other side losing. Not to Sgt. Benderman. It’s about having knowledge. We all have the right to know the truth about our options, and to be educated in our choices. We (…)