At the 2006 VFP National Convention in Seattle, with this link taking you to VFP Chapter 125’s page of pics, video and speech text.
Video was taken with a digital camera by VFP Greater Atlanta Chp. 125 member, Debbie Clark 
, not a professional filmmaker, and is not of professional quality {actually Debbie is being modest, the video feed isn’t bad at all}. Video was unfortunately taken in segments due to the limitations of the digital camera and cut a little short due to the memory card getting full before the end of the speech. However, most of the speech is there and the full text of the speech is also below. {Visit Site Link, HERE For Full Text Of Speech}
VIDEO OF LT WATADA’S SPEECH, link for download.
FULL TEXT OF 1LT EHREN WATADA’S SPEECH AT THE VFP CONVENTION IN SEATTLE, AUGUST 12, 2006, Can Be Found HERE
Lt. Watada’s Mother: My Son Needs Your Support
Carolyn Ho, mother of conscientious objector Lt. Ehren Watada, asks for support during her son’s pre-trial hearing on Aug 17 and 18. “Whether or not he is permitted to submit evidence supporting his refusal to deploy and his first amendment rights remains to be seen,” she says. “Nevertheless, the military must know that the world is watching and that justice must be served.”
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081406A.shtml#
this one keeps me bawling, Jim. I’m so glad he was able to attend and feel the love and support he deserves. I just love this human!!
I’m so glad he was at the VFP convention, too. That he was able to get out and speak and be surrounded by those who love and support him. IF he is charged… should be BUSH being charged… anyways, if he is charged I , and my family, have volunteered to write and send him CARE packages every other week till he is a free man.
Those 50 or so IVAWs… They all are heros. Some are still IN the military and risking losing the meager benefits they have for donning the shirts and attending such events.
Geoff Millard… he’s still in and he’s the one that arrested in DC during the Troops Home Fast along with the older Raging Granny. Reason for his arrest… he’s still in the military. But he’s speaking out. He even went to Beirut with CodePink for the peace talks. I got to meet him. Incredible being. Sadly he is very ill due to DU. So… he could lose his “benefits” that would barely cover his illness.
The whole thing is bad. I am in the Peace Movement but I also will stand up and be supportive to the troops to try and get them home. To help them heal. To give them a voice. I do not support what our government is doing with them abroad. But my mission is to bring them home NOW. Alive. And to sit with them and hear their stores… and to sometimes… make them smile.
Many say I do not support the troops. That I am anti-American, anti-troop.. . No. I am pro-peace and I want to stop all wars and all killing. And some of these military people.. are our biggest allies and they need some of us to be there… in pink…
Hoorah!!! Ehren Watada!!!! (tomorrow is the big day for those of us who love and support this man)
Still only seeing left side of comments, Microsoft haven’t fixed problem, which here seems to be only as to the comments, Diaries can be read etc.
But I can rate most!
Was going to go back to IE6 but hasd some downloads since moving to the beta and apparently would loose those.
Thanks for the diary. I am watching and hoping for Watahda and others like him.
Try FireFox browser. Once you change, you’ll never go back. There are some very few web pages that will only load with MSIE, so you may occasionally need to use it.
After you have downloaded FireFox, check out the add-on extensions that are available for it. I use several and would never go ever ever go back to using MSIE except when I absolutely have to.
Thank you Jim
Since you can’t read the comments here, I left a longer one at MLW for you. But then again, if you can’t read the comments, why am I writing this? Duh!
I received an email yesterday and read Lt.’s speech and it brought me to tears and to the donation button for his defense fund. I fully support what he is doing and his commitment to follow through and go to jail if he must. This is a TRUE hero!
(((LEEZY))))
Thank you for supporting his and the war resisters.
I’ll be out there tonight showing my heart and soul for him and others.
http://www.ThankYouLt.org