Kimberly Rivera, an American Army private and mother of
four, was arrested at the Canadian-US border and detained, having previously
sought refuge in Canada to escape further participating in the Iraq War. Rivera and her family fled the US
sometime in 2007 while she was on leave, which means that they have been in the
country for nearly five years—in fact, two of her four children were born there. She effectively began a new life for
herself, away from the trials of war. However, she has lost her deportation case, and will
be forced to leave—returning to the US with both the label of a deserter and,
potentially, a cell with her name on it awaiting her.
Canada is known for providing somewhat of a sanctuary to
individuals seeking to evade being drafted by the military—ninety thousand
United States citizens did so during the Vietnam War, most of whom eventually
became permanent citizens of Canada.
Many people are outraged that she is being forcibly removed—an online
petition against her deportation was signed by twenty thousand people, and
rallies held by other Canadians have even taken place supporting Rivera and
encouraging the government to allow her to stay. Even Desmond Tutu has put in his two cents on the matter,
speaking to the defense of Rivera.
However, despite this support and Canada’s unofficial status as a safe
haven, according to the spokeswoman of Jason Kenney, Canadian Immigration
Minister, “Military deserters from the United States are not genuine refugees
under the internationally accepted meaning of the term” and that claims like
Rivera’s actually cause problems for refugees who are seeking more pressing
issues, such as legitimate persecution.
Rivera did desert the Army—something she says she knew was
wrong, and certainly something that our nation tends not to smile upon. However, it does not appear that she
made this decision for any trivial reason—she disagreed with the Iraq War and
did not feel it was just to continue participating in it. Are her commitments to her country more
important than her own personal beliefs? Is it fair to ask someone to do
something they do not feel right about?
When is it appropriate to bow out of performing one’s duty to their
country?
3 comments:
In my opinion Rivera's deserting of the U.S. Army was wrong, for she enlisted in the military and promised to serve her country; if she opposed the Iraq War, she should have considered her views before enlisting. Legally, she does not qualify as a refugee. Was Rivera not a deserter, I doubt that she would have been detained for trying to avoid involvement in war. However, by deserting the army she violated her contract with the U.S. military and should be punished accordingly. By detaining Rivera, the U.S. government is simply carrying out the legal punishment that Rivera deserves.
When Rivera joined the military, she signed her life away to the military in exchange for the various benefits the military has to offer. In my opinion, it is not okay to make such a huge commitment, use the benefits from the commitment, and then back out of the commitment when things start getting tough. When she signed herself up, she knew what she was getting herself into. She knew she would be sent into a warzone and she had to have known that the war would not be fun. I can understand deserting from a draft, but when she signed up she agreed to what she would be doing. You don’t just sign up and decide if you like it while you’re there. Your first tour isn’t a free trial period.
I agree with Garrett and Robert on how Rivera should be punished for avoiding a commitment to the U.S. Army, and I also agree that she knew what she would be required to do and to commit to when joining the army. However, I do understand Rivera's intention and decision. In response to Eavan's question, "Are [Rivera's] commitements to her country more important than her own personal beleifs?", I belive that personal beleifs are more important. Rivera learned the truth about the war, she knew the details. I belive that knowlege is power, and her desertion was justified, (even though she should not have commited to the army in the first place.) She remained on the side of truth and peace, and found the courage to desert the army and avoid war and destruction.
"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it." - Robert Kennedy
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