“Ask yourself whether you are willing to kill in an unjust war, whether decrees from the US government can provide sufficient moral justification for you to slaughter folks in Afghanistan or Nicaragua (in my day), or anywhere, and whether being called a coward is more frightening than selling your soul, so to speak.
For me the answer is no, but I am long past the draft age. What is your answer?
Think, consider, and act today!” (Jim Fedako, “Having the Manhood To Be a Coward“)
I wrote those words nearly three years ago, a time that seems tranquil when compared to today. Sure, there was the occasional rattling of the saber back then, but it was nothing like the half-unsheathed saber of today.
A week ago, Lew Rockwell wrote a great piece entitled, “Why Die for Biden?” In that article, Lew correctly and succinctly blamed the war in Ukraine on an ever-expanding NATO. The US and its allies have been cornering the Russian bear and poking it nonstop. Then, once the bear struck back, the neocons and their corporate and media supporters feigned shock, “Look how the aggressive Russkies responded to our peaceful overtures to Ukraine.”
Anyone my age who hasn’t been fully gaslighted remembers the agreement between NATO and the Soviet Union which allowed German reunification without a single shot being fired. The agreement included the guarantee that NATO would not expand eastward. And, even as that agreement was breached over time, many voices (Ron Paul in particular) both recalled the agreement and warned against continued expansion. No one can say we were not warned.
Today, those voices have rung true and we have a hot war in Europe. And we have war parades ready to assemble throughout the US, just waiting for the call to arms. If you are draft age, you likely do not want to die for Biden and the bloodthirsty neocons and their corporate interests. And, for many of you, you don’t want to kill for them either. This article is addressed to you.
As I noted in my previous article, if you are against war, you must act today. If the US reimposes the draft, you may be called to serve and to kill. And if the thought of killing to satisfy neocon blood thirst, government control of oil and oil pipelines, or US global hegemony offends your conscious, you must begin preparations to defend your soul.
Events turn quickly. No one can say that a war and draft are imminent. And no one can say they aren’t. So it makes sense to be prepared for an event that could happen tomorrow.
When drafted, you can appeal to your local draft board as either an objector to combatant military service (class 1-A-O) or to all military service (class 1-O). To win your appeal, you will have satisfy the board that you meet three criteria: opposition to participation in war; opposition that is based on religious training or beliefs, strict religious beliefs, or ethical or moral beliefs, and; demonstrate your beliefs are sincere.
It will be the board that initially decides your fate. There are means to appeal to two additional levels, but it would be best to settle this matter as soon as possible. Though your board consists of five members from your local area (likely your county), there are various opinions and beliefs that exist in any area, no matter how ideological similar that area may appear on the outside. So it is likely most of the board members will not share your views on war.
You have to ask yourself who would serve on a local draft board. Would they likely believe in military service? How would they feel about someone objecting, even if that objection were based on sincerely held beliefs? Those questions cannot be answered for your specific board, at least until your stand before them and hear their questions and comments.
One thing you can do today to help your appeal is to write down your objections to war and send that in a certified letter to yourself. Do not open it until your hearing. Another action you can do is talk to your pastor or other mentors or close friends. Express your views and ask them to confirm your objections in a certified letter to you. Also, ask if they would be willing to be one of the three witnesses you can have at your hearing.
Though there are many other actions you can take, those above will provide evidence your views on war are sincere and deeply held, ones you held for a long time. Keep in mind the decision of your appeal will not be based on your views of then active war, but will be based on your views of war in general. So the longer you can show you held your beliefs the stronger your claim.
If the act of killing will rot your soul, take action today.
