From the website for Winter Soldier: The Film

:In February 1971, one month after the revelations of the My Lai massacre, an astonishing public inquiry into war crimes committed by American forces in Vietnam was held at a Howard Johnson motel in Detroit. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War organized this event called the Winter Soldier Investigation. More than 125 veterans spoke of atrocities they had witnessed and committed.



Though the event was attended by press and television news crews, almost nothing was reported to the American public. Yet, this unprecedented forum marked a turning point in the anti-war movement. It was a pivotal moment in the lives of young vets from around the country who participated, including the young John Kerry. The Winter Soldier Investigation changed him and his comrades forever. Their courage in testifying, their desire to prevent further atrocities and to regain their own humanity, provide a dramatic intensity that makes seeing Winter Soldier an unforgettable experience.

We Support the Troops Who Oppose the War



This spring, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is revealing the reality of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. In what will be history's largest gathering of U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqi and Afghan survivors, eyewitnesses will share their experiences in a public investigation called Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan.



Truth, honesty and integrity are essential components to a functioning democracy. Concerned veterans are taking it upon themselves to make their experiences available to everyone who cares about the direction of our country.



Soldiers and Marines are not to blame for the suffering of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans stories will indicate that responsibility belongs to those in the seat of power and the problem goes much deeper than the atrocities of Abu Ghraib and Haditha.



This public investigation will be called the Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan. Winter Soldiers, according to founding father Thomas Paine, are the people who stand up for the soul of their country, even in its darkest hours. The lives of millions of people depend on Americans having informed opinions and acting in accordance to their principles. The lives of thousand service members and civilians depend on you being a Winter Soldier.



Please click here and sign this statement to demonstrate your support for this project.



For more information, contact WinterSoldier@ivaw.org.

Snippets from the original Winter Soldier investigation can be seen in the documentary Sir, No Sir!: The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam (which the monkey highly recommends):

A Canadian teenager who was said to have clashed with her father about whether she should wear a traditional Muslim head scarf died of injuries late on Monday, and her father told police he had killed her.



Aqsa Parvez, 16, was found without a pulse in her home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga earlier on Monday. She was resuscitated by paramedics, treated at two hospitals, and later succumbed to her injuries, police said on Tuesday.

The mind boggles.



I'm sure the Dalai Lama is sincerely broken up and sad over everyone who gets raped in prison. That's in his job description.



And the fact that Pirate is thinking I hope both brother and father get raped in a cage for weeks on end by some tattooed Nazi lifers shows how far he still has to go on developing that whole "universal compassion" thing.

Armor for cats and mice.



SO MUCH FUCKING WIN! Big props on out to Lexi for hipping her monkey to this badasstacularity.

Originally posted by Jim MacDonald over at Making Light. Not for the squeamish. But if you think you have the desire to suck it up and do what needs doing when things go catastrophically south, here's some well-written basics on what to do in the presence of traumatic, possibly life-threatening injury having been inflicted on human being.

• Trauma and You, Part One: The Basics
  
  
• Trauma and You, Part Two: Shock
  
  
• Trauma and You, Part Three: Sticks and Stones
  
  
• Trauma and You, Part Four: Squishy Bits (forthcoming)
  
  
• JM's recommendations for 1st aid kits, as well as pre-packed, grab-&-go-its-evacuation-time-NOW kits.

Dear California: Have you bolted down those shelves yet?

---

BTW, discussions of first-aid training always remind me of the first-responer class tongodeon and & took. When discussing the insertion of nasal breathing tubes, our instructor informed us that water-based lubricant is best, but that me might not have it on hand in the field.



"Oh, water-based lube shouldn't be too hard to come by out at Burning Man" I replied.



"Do you do a lot of nasal intubations out there?" he asked.



"Nah, we're just freaky like that."



He paused for a moment, and continued the demo without further comment.



I just love that story. ;-)