Aimee Allison, the Army & the Tribune

LETTER TO THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE

In her otherwise informative column on Oakland's special election, Peggy Stinnett writes that city council candidate Aimee Allison "dropped out" of the Army. That is a poor choice of words. Nobody just "drops out" of the military. Not even officers (except for Bush) can just walk out when they feel like it. For us "peons," as we enlisted men used to call ourselves in the Marine Corps, about the only way out was to apply for Conscientious Objector status. But by doing so you might incur the wrath of your commanding officer--who has the power to make your life very, very unpleasant.

Filing for CO status takes skill and perseverance as well as courage. Aimee Allison eventually received an honorable discharge, which shows that she was able to win the respect of people who probably didn't share her views. These are qualities that can make her an effective city council person. I'm voting for Aimee Allison.

Daniel Borgstrom
Oakland, District 2
US Marine Corps (1959-63)
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WEBSITE ARTICLES ON AIMEE ALLISON:

"Aimee Allison: Antiwar, Progressive & Green"
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/04/1734516.php

"Aimee Allison: Interview with a Gulf War Resister":
http://www.objector.org/articles/allison.html

League of Women Voters Website
http://www.smartvoter.org/2005/05/17/ca/alm/vote/allison_a/philosophy.html