Yeah-Crazy times. Today was a really dark day in this country, and I think one of the most healing and unifying things has been to express myself and what I'm working on through the internet.

Currently, CODEPINK is spreading an online petition called Give Peace A Vote (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=295&t=GPV.dwt) that voters "will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign.*"

I ask to those who read this entry to fill out this online petition. Let's show the US government that we support a peaceful solution for the upcoming elections.

Yeah-Crazy times. Today was a really dark day in this country, and I think one of the most healing and unifying things has been to express myself and what I'm working on through the internet.

Currently, CODEPINK is spreading an online petition called Give Peace A Vote (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=295&t=GPV.dwt) that voters "will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign.*"

I ask to those who read this entry to fill out this online petition. Let's show the US government that we support a peaceful solution.

Background Information: Prior to Going AWOL (excerpt from Aguayo blog site-posted By CODEPINK)

on September 30, 2006 Army Specialist Agustín Aguayo, 35, was to report for duty at the U.S. Army base in Schweinfurt Bavaria at 7:30 pm German time (1:30 pm EST) to begin a second year-long deployment to Iraq


A medic with the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division to Iraq, Agustín is orginally from Los Angeles, where his family still lives.
Agustín did not report for duty as ordered. According to his wife, Helga Aguayo, and his counselor, Michael Sharp of the Military Counseling Network in Bammantal, Germany, Agustín plans to turn himself in to the Military Police on the base in Schweinfurt soon. He anticipates that he might receive a court martial followed by up to two years in military prison, loss of all benefits, and perhaps a less than honorable discharge. For him and his family it will bring a long separation and definite economic hardship for years to come. But he sees no other way.

Agustín has stated that he would refuse to deploy on grounds of conscience (see attached statement). He joins a growing group of U.S. soldiers who are refusing to deploy to Iraq. His is the first publicly known case of a soldier refusing to deploy from Germany to Iraq. Approximately 67,000 U.S. soldiers and 80,000 of their dependents are stationed on 73 bases in Germany, a key logistical hub for the U.S. military effort in the Middle East.

If he must face court martial, Aguayo will be represented at trial in the U.S. military court in Germany by a German attorney, Christian Rieker of Frankfurt. In a joint project of the Military Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, the GI Rights Hotline, and a German attorney organization, the Republikanischer Anwaeltinnen- und Anwaltsverein (RAV) which was coordinated by Elsa Rassbach of American Voices Abroad (AVA) Military Project, several English-speaking German attorneys were trained this past January in U.S. military law to represent U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany. Aguayo will in addition be represented by appointed U.S. Army counsel.