Soldiers Try to Call in Sick

Wow, what a dilemma to be in. These poor soldiers are trying to rationalize their decisions to avoid participating in a war they just don't believe in or are just afraid of dying in. This NY Times article talks about the increasing trend of soldiers finding ways to avoid going to Iraq. Some heartbreaking snippets in here.

"There are people who would want to hang me for this," he [a Private from Texas] said in a telephone interview from Toronto. "The thing is, yes, I did sign up for this. And, when I did, I had this vision that I'd be a good guy and defend my country. But killing people for something I don't believe in just to fulfill a contract just didn't seem right to me either."

In the hopes of staying out of Iraq, some are running off to Canada, deliberately injuring themselves, or even taking illegal drugs which they expect to be flagged during tox screens. This one guy put it: "Until I took a stand, I was really going against my own conscience. I was so afraid to be called a coward."