A reservist says "hell, no, I won't go"

The military is finding new ways to ruin people's lives, whether it's sending them off to combat in an illegal war or reaching back in time to call up reservists who thought their service was over.

One south Florida reservist has been ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., tomorrow for his fifth tour of duty in the Middle East. But he's fighting back ... with a lawsuit unprecedented since Vietnam.

"Our country has a problem," Miami attorney Lawrence Metsch said Friday. "A small group of people are getting called up again and again, yet hundreds of thousands of young men and women are not called up to military service, and they're going on with their lives. It's a political problem."

Erik Botta thought he had joined those fortunate masses three years ago when he left the Army after three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He got married, started school at Palm Beach Community College and got a job at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in northern Palm Beach County.

While he technically remained in the reserves, he was not required to participate in any drills or training.

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Botta said his call-up is simply not fair.

"This has nothing to do with protest of the war. ... I have nothing but respect for the people on the ground," he said.

But he has done enough, he said.

Metsch said federal rules that give President Bush the power to call reserves into active duty shore up Botta's belief.

The rules require the military to consider a reservist's prior service and the types of hazards the service member confronted. Among his various decorations, Botta earned the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal during his three years of active duty.

Further, military officials are to look at the reservist's family situation and whether the person's employment is needed to "maintain the national health, safety or interest."

"It's clear to us they ignored the statute," Metsch said.

Well, of course they ignored the statute. Remember, the overriding philosophy of the Bush crime syndicate is that laws don't apply to them.

While the lawsuit is pending, Botta still must report or face prosecution for desertion. It's just another way the U.S. military, as led by the Bush crime syndicate, is the gift that keeps on giving.