Asylum Update

First of all, I would like to thank everyone on both sides of the Atlantic for all of their support. Knowing that there are many people out there who not only aware of the chicanery of our runaway government, but they are also willing to stand up and do something about it. May my prayers be with all of you.

As of this moment, I am still waiting for my hearing that is set in early February. The asylum facility is as good as one would expect it to be and the staff there are very friendly and helpful. When I am not busy preparing for my asylum hearing I am exploring this magnificant city(I cannot say where at the moment for security reasons), taking german classes, visiting different peace organizations (such as Americans For Peace, IVAW, Tübingin Progressive Americans, and the Military Counseling Network), doing interviews, and a whole range of interesting things. I am also keeping up with the goings on in the world as much as possible, especially everything regarding the military and what is happening to our fellow servicemen in Canada. Its not the ideal life that I lead because I am not yet truly free, but its ok.

For those of you who do not know, I will tell you a little about myself. My name is André Shepherd. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I joined the Army to provide myself with a better life than working low paying jobs and sleeping in my car. I served in Iraq for six months from September 2004 thru February 2005, and was stationed in Katterbach, Germany from 2005 until April 2007 when I had to leave it all behind. I never in my life imagined that I would ever have to say goodbye to the country that raised me, the country that I had grown up loving. Unfortunately I cannot serve under a tyrranical government that terrorizes the world at large, and at the same time systematically strips the freedoms of its own citizens away. After learning about the atrocities commited in Iraq and later in Afghanistan, I knew that I could no longer be a soldier because that is not how I was taught or what I believe. I am not a murderer, nor are the other brave individuals who have made this difficult decision. I refuse to be a mercenary for our rogue government and the international corporations that are making obscene profits from other people´s misery. I hope everyone who reads this understands.

While I was hiding out in southern Germany trying to figure out how to put my life back together, I came across the Military Counseling Network who helped me reach this point. They are a wonderful organization that helps servicemembers learn their rights in the military system. Yes, you heard me right. Servicemembers have rights too. :) It was through them that I learned about this fine organization and I am now a proud member. Together with IVAW and the other organizations that I listed, we are fighting a battle that has the potential for enormous ramifications throughout the world. I will not go into details about it here, since I am confident you all know what I am talking about. I hope that with our co-ordinated efforts, as well as the enormous support for our mission, that we will prevail.

That´s all I have to say for now. I will send another post next week. Keep up the fight, and eventually we will win!

"It´s not the duty of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
It is the duty of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error"