WASHINGTON (AFP) - A month after US army reservist Matthis Chiroux publicly refused to deploy to Iraq, the former sergeant on Sunday set himself up for possible prosecution by failing to report for active duty with his unit in South Carolina.

Matthis' father Rob, a rocket scientist who lives in the army town of Huntsville, Alabama, said mobilizing IRR members was a form of back-door draft.

"If our country is in such a dire emergency that we need to conscript manpower, congress has to vote to reinstate the draft," the elder Chiroux told AFP.

"But they won't do that because if congress said we need to bring back the general draft, the war in Iraq would be resolved very quickly," he said. End

Being from Florence, Alabama, about sixty miles from this young man's hometown, I'm extremely proud of him. Even if he goes to prison, he'll be more of an American patriot than Bush, Cheney and those who goose-stepped to the beat of their damn war drums.

After the above article was posted on my website, I received this letter and instantly realize that I do not deserve the word controversial attached to my name.

"Dear Mr. Miller: I take immense pleasure in the horrific weather that's pounded the Midwest where I live. Most, if not, all of the states that have had flooding and tornadoes were states that supported Bush in 2004 knowing that he was a liar and mass murderer. As these hypocrites cheered the bombs that destroyed lives and homes in Iraq, I watch with great joy the news footage of them getting a taste of their own medicine. I pray daily asking God to punish these fools and while houses all around me were recently destroyed, I didn't loose so much as a shingle off my home. Let the Bush supporters who have disgraced our country's flag and devalued our dollar take comfort that God has more tolerance for their evil than I do. If it were possible, I'd see to it that they, their children, and their grandchildren would live out their lives in a place that would be an exact replica of Dachau. Those who voted for Bush in 2004 are not fit to walk this land or look upon its flag."

Your avid reader,
Edward H. Anthony