Ricky Clousing is a free man! Not only has he been released from the brig, but he has been discharged from the military, and can now continue his antiwar activism without interference.

Ricky first went AWOL after returning from Iraq, citing the horrors he had seen there. On his bed on base, he left the following quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right."

On several occasions, he attempted to turn himself in for punishment and to be formally processed out of the military, but every time the military sent him away. It wasn't until he went public, at a press conference at the Veterans For Peace convention in Seattle this August, that the military took notice. He turned himself later that day at nearby Fort Lewis.

In October, Clousing was sentenced to 90 days in the brig. His original release date was December 27th, which would have held him beyond Christmas. However, because of his treatment during his initial confinement at Fort Lewis, his lawyer was able to have that time counted as time served, which reduced his sentence by four days.

Ricky was reunited with his family at Sea-Tac Airport late last night. He is currently home with his family in Western Washington, and looking forward to resuming his antiwar work.

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But if you ask me, I bet Chuck Norris whooped up on someone.



Mission Accomplished, Texas Ranger!