KANASKA

I've been meaning to write this article since October.

It appears there are over 30,000 'Banished Veterans' who need justice.

No big deal, ya know...just like THIRTY THOUSAND ILLEGALLY DEPORTED UNITED STATES VETERANS?!!

I feel disgusted that this is happening.

Hector Barajas came to me with his story a few months through my good friend Reginald Angus Argue and Hector Lopez just today asked me for my help.

So here I am writing this article.

These are men who upon entering the U.S. Army were promised american citizenship after returning from the war and guaranteed US Nationality immediately when enlisting.

After serving in the military -- reality had an unpleasant surprise for many of these men.

Thousands were deported back to Canada and Mexico amongst other countries. Some immediately and some years, even DECADES later.

Huh. How convenient. Hmm....

Remind me again how this is fair??

How is it that the american government is getting away with this kind of behavior?

How is this information flying under the radar and has zero media attention??

Yet for some reason we are updated daily on which star is dating who, how fat they are and what they ate for breakfast yesterday?

Has our world gone mad?! Have we forgotten what is news with SUBSTANCE and what

is there to keep us entertained and blinded to the real issues that need our focus?

These men feel they have no voice. As if their voices have been stamped out. I can see why. This is partly due to the mainstream media not grabbing a story like this, running with it and raising awareness!

Forgiveness can occur. Yes. There is a great potential for this outcome, but we need for the freedoms of these veterans to be re-established. They must be allowed to return to the United States of America.

Others such as Hector Barajas have been deported to Mexico. His daughter and family remain in America. He wants to be there for the crucial early years of his daughters childhood. Rudi Richardson also was deported to Germany after living in america for 45 years.

Hector Barajas says "Its times like these when I see my daughter leave that I feel like jumping the border."

Rudi Richardson, who is also a deported US Veteran lives in London and leads a foundation to help the homeless. Completely non-profit. His biological father was an African American GI. Rudi was adopted at the age of three by an African American GI family in Germany. He was brought back to the United States. I feel he should have been recognized as an american citizen.  He has also been clean of drugs for four years.

Hector Lopez I spoke with today. This is his story...

Hector joined the military in 1982, stationed at Fresno California. He was only 18 when activated for war during the invasion of Grenada by the Pentagon. The raid only lasted about a month. His family is now in Madero, California.

His daughter is 24 and just had a baby. His wife divorced him when he was deported. He feels as if his whole world has been ripped apart..

Hector Lopez: "When I was asked to re-enlist I was told that I was already an automatic Citizen for my 6 years of Honorable military service."

Kanaska: "When/how did you find out about the potential deportation?"

Hector Lopez: "When I was about to be released from prison."

Kanaska:  "May I ask why you went to prison?"

Hector Lopez:  "For drug possesion."

He was sent to jail for possession of marijuana and a bag was found on the ground. They scraped a .05 of what they said was 'meth' off of the bag -- so he was sent to jail. He says the bag was not his but someone else he knew would have been blamed so he took the blame instead. Then while in prison he found out he was now going to be deported.

He was deported to Mexico for several drug convictions he feels developed due to his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the conditions of war. He speaks of how he feels it was his duty to serve his country despite his mother saying not to go.

"After my honorable discharge from the invasion(which only lasted about a month) I started having anxiety attacks and I asked my superiors for help and they just humiliated me by saying that only gays and women experienced those type of things."

Hold on a second.

!!!

Superiors are saying to these men that ... Only GAYS and WOMEN experience anxiety attacks!!?

What sort of support system is in place here for those associated with the United States Military? Is this only in the American Military?

He goes on to to say...

"When I couldn't get help from my unit or the Veteran's Administrator I turned to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to self medicate myself. That led me into a downward spiral that eventually had me living in a homeless shelter and estranged from my family. I have several convictions for drug possession and eventually I started selling drugs to support my habit."

I believe we've all felt helpless at some point in our lives. Where we suffered from some sort of pain, loss or personal turmoil to the point of wishing we could simply escape how one feels. I, Myself have suffered from anxiety attacks due to P.T.S.D. and have found myself on the streets homeless last year. I can understand where he is coming from.

"I was set up to sell drugs to an undercover cop in my hometown and away from home by someone that I thought was my friend, I didn't know that he was busted and made a deal (with the police) to set me up as a condition for his release."

"This experience has definitely opened my eyes and now I see life in a whole different light. I have been drug and alcohol free for quite some time."

He is now 47 and wishes to "live the rest of my days with all my family that resides in the country that I served and defended and was willing to die for."

He ends with "I am a National of The United States as per: The U.S.Military Oath of Enlistment,section 1101(a)(22) 0f The Immigration and Nationality Act,and The Status of Forces Agreement(S.O.F.A.)"

I hope his wish is granted soon.

So when is all this madness going to end?

Everywhere I look I see more and more pain.

This will not allow for us to advance towards freedom or happiness.

So...what is the solution here?

Well, exposure. I encourage you to share this story. Media coverage needs to occur.

A nice place to start would have to be a formal apology from the American government.

And I'm certain that a public apology should be a piece of cake. There shouldn't be any sort of worry about anxiety or panic attacks while reading it to over 30,000 frustrated veterans at the same time. Nah, piece of cake!

Because only homosexuals and females have to worry about that.

Right?

Wrong.

Lets bring these men home now.

And lets do this peacefully.

Visit the Banished Veterans Website at: http://www.banishedveterans.info