Washington, USA

In 1972 (while I was still living in Germany) I saw a powerful anti-war documentary that had screened at Cannes that summer—Winter Soldier. This powerful testimonial to the atrocities of the Vietnam War (shot largely at a motel in Detroit where The Vietnam Veterans Against the War had come together in a solidarity of witness) made a lasting impression on me, and was influential in (finally) shifting public opinion against the decades-long U.S. aggression in Vietnam. You can watch a trailer for the original movie Winter Soldier here.

I’ve been informed by a cousin of mine (Boyd Reimer, a tireless activist for peace and social justice who lives in Toronto) about an upcoming action that sounds to be of merit. Boyd is engaged with The War Resisters Support Campaign which has called for a pan-Canadian mobilization on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 to: 1) ensure that deportation proceedings against U.S. war resisters currently in Canada cease immediately; and, 2) ensure that a provision be enacted by Parliament ensuring that U.S. war resisters refusing to fight in Iraq have a means to gain status in Canada. Read more about that Canadian campaign here.

In the U.S., plans are afoot for a Winter Soldier redux of sorts: from March 13-16, 2008 (40 years to the day following the horrific events of the My Lai massacre), Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in Washington “to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable…” Link to more information from the Iraq Veterans Against The War here.