Library - Reading Room
Supporting Materials for Sir! No Sir!
Statement Of Purpose
We of Baltimore GIs United, like the revolutionaries who founded this country, believe that all men should possess certain inalienable rights. We would like to believe that the Constitution does guarantee citizens of this country the right to free speech, free press, the right to peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion. Our newspaper, coffeehouse project and counseling service are all run with the conviction that individual liberty really is the principle upon which this country was founded.
Our original title was: Baltimore GIs United Against the War in Vietnam. We deleted the second half of the name because it is now felt that the longer version may have seemed to restrict the activities and beliefs of GIs United to that one premise. We will continue to staunchly oppose that unjust war so long as the problem exists. However, we collectively plan to direct our support to encompass the numerous problems that plague our society. Among these we pledge ourselves to:
1. Oppose racism in all its forms.
2. Work for revision or replacement of the UCMJ.
3. Foster and encourage discussion groups.
4. Make the civilian community aware of the injustices and abuses which abound in the military.
5. Offer GIs legal counsel and advice about their grievances.
6. Make people aware of legal alternatives to military service.
GIs UNITED considers itself an organization dedicated not to the undoing of this country, but instead to the furtherance of America's highest and most honorable precept, namely that of individual freedom. Any attempt by the military to silence our cause either through overt harassment or re-assignment can only be accepted as evidence that Constitutional rights have never been intended to apply to US servicemen.
Open Ranks, vol. 1, no. 5