#TakeMeFreeJulian
I follow Julian Assange's mother on Twitter and she follows me. Therefore, I often see what she writes on Twitter and I follow the comments of those who respond to her concerns.
A few days ago she wrote a Tweet asking if anyone has any ideas how to free her son from his cruel government captivity. I previously had written and suggested the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury should visit him at the Ecuadorian Embassy in order to free him -- they should!
So this writing is yet another response to Mrs. Assange's plaintive plea for help.
Most people do not realize that Julian Assange has been a pacifist opposing war since he was a teenager. So nobody should be surprised that he'd enter into a career, given his technical proficiency, exposing government secrets which ultimately lead to war or continuation of war.
I, too, am a pacifist and have been since a teenager. When I was at that ripe age for military service, Martin Luther King, the Berrigan brothers and I.F. Stone were my heros. They inspired me to take a vow never to kill anyone and to oppose injustice. At the time, I was at the edge of being drafted (pre-lottery days) into the military and the immorality of the Vietnam War was looming.
Rather than desert to Canada or conjure an excuse not to serve, one similar to Donald Trump's bone spur issue or Ted Nugent's pitiful and gross excuse, I requested conscientious objection non-combatant status. In other words, I'd answer the call of duty, but I would legally protect myself from having to carry a weapon.
My local draft board approved my 1-AO noncombatant status request and on the day following this approval, they drafted me. I was in Los Angeles, California at the time before the date of my August 20, 1969 date for induction into the US Army. So I had to hitch-hike east with everybody who was hitch-hiking to Woodstock. In essence, I became a Woodstock Soldier. I never got to attend the concert, but I was there in spirit given I had hitch-hiked wagons east with many members of Woodstock Nation.
https://steemit.com/woodstock/@michaelweddle/i-became-a-woodstock-soldier
After several months of training as a soldier I came to the realization that no matter what my role within the military, by my efforts, I was helping to hold together an institutionalized killing machine, and that nuts and bolts held a machine together. Therefore, I requested an honorable discharge based on conscientious objection. After near-automatic denial of my request, I eventually won my appeal and became honorably discharged from military service on October 30, 1970.
Song Begins after a Moment of Silence:
So what can I, a man of conscience, do in response to the request of Mrs. Assange for help to free her son. As Martin Luther stated before he separated the church, "I can do no other!" Somebody, somehow started the #MeToo Movement which held wide-reaching implications. Therefore, I offer myself to be held in captivity in exchange for the freedom of Julian Assange! #TakeMeFreeJulian!