Speaking up of conscientious objection

RantWoman originally thought of posting these thoughts as a comment in connection with this post

http://williampennhouse.blogspot.com/2010/08/where-are-my-first-amendment-rights.html

Then RantWoman got all carried away and the Truth got messy and a call arose for continuing, ongoing lifelong discernment about war, Quakers' and other Christians' relation to war, pacifism among people of other faith or no faith, the imperatives of bureaucratic machines designed to fill the war machine with fresh meat as efficiently as possible and a whole welter of other thoughts.

RantWoman's basic point: sure, okay, you registered for the draft. You did a lot of discernment about the Bible and about Quaker history and your goals and the apparent consequences of your choices and you registered for the draft. You made the decision that is right for you.

Maybe, though, that is not the end but only the beginning of discernment and work and conversations about testimonies against war and about traditional Quaker witness such as conscientious objection and how to keep the concept and practice alive in our communities, on the internet, among other Friends and among all our other communities.

Sure, it would be nice if the Selective Service registration system made provisions for people to pre-emptively register as conscientious objectors. But the goal of the Selective Service system is to get everyone registered as quickly and efficiently as possible. In its own way, there is a certain egalitarian logic, both in terms of basic function and in terms of the wide variety of religious and belief system bases for conscientious objection claims.

More to the point, sure the registration system has no provision for your first amendment freedom of religion issues. Neither does the tax system. But you still have your first amendment rights to speak and write and publish, and there should be plenty of opportunities to exercise that!

1. Become more informed about Quaker practice and experience during different recent time periods.

2. Continue to promote discussion amoung your age group peers, both Friends and others about opposition to war an d conscientious objection issues including both concerns and misinformation. For instance a few years ago RantWoman attended a session with some high school age youth from North Pacific Yearly Meeting. RantWoman was surprised by a perception that all CO's necessarily go to jail when in fact lots of individual circumstances affect what happens.

On the other hand, RantWoman also heard a speech by Beyond Joy about his experiences and recommends checking that out:

http://beyondjoy.net/index.html

http://www.michiganquakers.org/peace.htm

3. Become informed about different proposals for universal service where military service is only one of several options. What issues and tradeoffs do you see for different choices being discussed.

4. What other choices do you feel about how to live with integrity in occasion to oppose all war in our current society?



RantWoman below includes a couple other iternet items she dug up in the course of compiling things above.

The item below is part of an oral history project about other events but about 2/3 of the way through, Karen mentions two topical points.

First, for a few months when the most recent registration system was first being discussed there was talk of requiring women to register. RantWoman had forgotten that. (RantWoman was in college at the time and remembers a couple years simply refusing to sign the statement on financial aid forms)

Second, Karen mentions the case of Andy Mager, one of the few prosecuted for openly refusing to register. Whatever choices individuals are led to, it's important to understand history and background for different choices.

http://peacecampherstory.blogspot.com/2006/08/herstory-003-karen-beetle.html

RantWoman found this item while searching for Beyond Joy's item above

http://www.incommunion.org/2005/08/06/orthodox-christians-and-conscientious-objection/

RantWoman is noting it for discussion of saints, martyrs, Orthodox tradition as well as conscientious objection, topics about which RantWOman's knowledge is highly uneven at best.