Keep a conscientious objector file for your child. Remember: Becoming a conscientious objector doesn't require that your child be a strict pacifist, nor does it require a belief in God: "If the draft is reinstated, under existing regulations a young conscript wanting to claim CO status will need to prove that he has a 'sincere' objection to all wars.… His belief … must be religious, moral, or ethical, not political or pragmatic."

Date:   8/13/2006 4:41:40 PM ( 18 y ago)

Help your peace-loving child avoid the draft: don't wait until he's 18 to document his opposition to war. Record it now
Mothering, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Helen James
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ON THE EVE OF THE GULF WAR, while I was marching for peace with hundreds of other protestors, I spotted a familiar mop of shiny red hair down low in the crowd. Sure enough, it belonged to my then nine-year-old son, Adam. I hadn't encouraged him to take up the polities of adulthood, but he and his buddies had convinced another parent to take them to the rally. We joined forces, and I walked and talked with them as they struggled to understand the deeper meaning of that day.

As I stopped to take a photo of the boys with their handmade peace signs, a tired, flail-looking man, covered with war medals and peace buttons, began limping toward me as fast as he could manage. He'd broken ranks with his group, Vietnam Vets Against the War, and had a look on his face I will never forget. He came close and embraced me, then pulled back, stared into my eyes, and said, "lf my mother had done that for me, I wouldn't be like this now." We shared a moment of silence, then parted with a handshake.

The vet was right--my son was not being raised to be a soldier, and someday Adam might need to show his draft board the photo we'd just taken to prove that fact. While this scenario seemed only remotely possible and a long way off, I reminded myself that some parents start college funds when a child is born. I tucked the photo away.

Adam is now 22. The photo is kept in a cardboard file box, along with a two-inch-thick sheaf of paperwork, clippings, and family history, all documenting how he was raised as a conscientious objector--a "CO". We kept adding to Adam's CO file through easier times, even when it seemed completely unnecessary. For a while, a combination of "smart weapons" smaller wars, high unemployment, long enlistments, the military's intensive multibillion-dollar recruiting efforts, and claims for educational and job-training benefits created what most considered a permanent solution to providing a shrinking military with ample volunteers.

Then came "the War on Terror." Politicians of both parties warn us that this war will last a lifetime. Troops are being commanded to serve more time than they signed up for, and according to some, army recruiting numbers are down. It's a fact of life--nations reinstate conscription whenever they need soldiers. Most experts agree that opening a second war front means the draft will be back. Women could be forced to serve, and neither Canada nor college will provide refuge as they have in the past. Some politicians are calling for compulsory national service for all young people, 18 through 26--a noble-sounding enterprise that could be a prelude to military conscription.

At the same time, America is teaching children to "Use words, not fists!" Public schools now routinely teach conflict resolution, and quality children's television encourages kids to "talk it out." Especially after the tragedy of the shootings at the high school in Littleton, Colorado, children are being raised with the message that violence is not a solution. But will they then be drafted and taught to kill?

This situation could already be creating an internal crisis for some in the military. Who knows how many soldiers may find it difficult to rationalize how they were raised with what they are now being told to do? Many young civilian men are feeling a deeply disturbing inner conflict, and some are turning toward conscientious objection. National CO organizations report increasing numbers of callers asking, for example, how to register for the draft as an objector. (The current advice is to write, in ink, "I am a Conscientious Objector to war in any form" across the middle of the registration form, and then make and keep a copy before turning it in.)
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If the draft is reinstated, under existing regulations a young conscript wanting to claim CO status will need to prove that he has a "sincere" objection to all wars. He will have to show what he believes and why, how he came to believe it, and how his actions prove he practices what he believes. His belief, according to the law, must be religious, moral, or ethical, not political or pragmatic. It is unnecessary to prove church attendance, affiliation, or a belief in God.

Even though the law requires objection to all wars, it is not necessary for a CO to know what he might have done in the past or would do in the future. This interpretation of the law protects COs from such hypothetical questions as "What would you have done in 1942?" or "What would you do if someone attacked your family?"

Nor must COs be pacifists. J. E. McNeil, executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, a Washington, DC-based interfaith peace organization, sometimes counsels COs who are also police officers, avid game hunters, former gang members, or involved in martial arts. She says, "A prize fighter could be a conscientious objector. Muhammad Ali was both. There are COs in favor of the death penalty. What makes a CO is his deep opposition to war."

It is, however, necessary for a CO to prove his sincerity, and that's where documentation comes in. Conscripts may get as few as ten days to put together supporting evidence for a CO claim. Should my son ever want to prove the depth of his convictions, he'll already have a scrapbook full of documents tracing his beliefs over his entire life.
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Here's what's goes into a CO file:

A personal history and diary. In Adam's case, his diary, or scrapbook, contains chronological entries including clippings, photos, and flyers from events we attended, such as Peace Day parades. There are a few of his relevant drawings and paintings and lists of all the antiwar books we read together, plus those he read by himself as he grew older. There are lists with comments about movies or television shows that, one way or another, influenced him toward peace. There are a few of his poems about caring for animals or people in need. As his parent, I noted significant life patterns and changes, such as his becoming a vegetarian, and recorded how he helped others--when he joined a wildlife rescue society, and when he organized a 4-H food drive. The diary also records ways Adam worked directly for peace, such as studying conflict resolution and marching in that Gulf War rally.

Letters that serve as character references and statements of family values. One summer, when I picked Adam up from camp, his counselor reported that he'd happily hiked and participated in all the activities but wouldn't join in break-time war games. Wondering why children were even doing that in the first place, I asked her to put what she'd just told me in writing, explaining that it was for his CO file. She wrote, "Adam let the other children know he was against war games and informed them death was a very real consequence of war. I found him to be very strong in his attitude to promote nonviolence." There is also a letter from his godmother explaining to Adam, then a child, why one may object to war. Also in the file are letters calling for peace written by adult family members to legislators and newspapers, plus personal statements of their own beliefs about war and peace, and their affiliations with peace organizations.

Documents about religious or spiritual practices. We included evidence of church membership, records of church activities, awards, etc., and quotations from our religion's views on war. Adam worked hard for his Cub Scout religious medal; it, too, is kept in his file, along with more mature letters Adam exchanged with our pastor when Adam was in his teens. But remember, it is not necessary to have a formal religious practice or a belief in God to prove conscientious objection.
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Anything that shows a child's concern for life and the unity of nature. The documents in my son's file aren't so much "goody-goody" as examples of his healthy preference for pursuits that are not life-destructive but life-affirming. We also kept any and all evidence of his very autonomous thinking style and his not-so-mainstream upbringing. We have folded, stapled (but not put in envelopes), and mailed back to our family many of these documents in order to have the documents themselves postmarked, thus proving their dates. Some draft counselors suggest notarizing significant records.

Adam's file is neither a protest nor a political statement, but a record of his continuing, heartfelt hope for a peaceful world and a summary of his and his family's beliefs. Keeping the file was never much of a focus or issue; it was kept in the background. Still, it reminded us as parents to keep up age-appropriate discussions about the ethics of war and peace, violence and nonviolence, and it provided a continual opening to explore important moral issues while we worked together as a family for peace.

Adam's own growing introspection and reading contributed as much as or more than anything we adults ever offered him. He's an adult now, and a fiercely independent one. I have no idea where his path will take him, and only he will determine what values he will hold tomorrow. But at least I know that if his beliefs about war are put to the test of a draft board, Adam will be able to show them the complete record of one young man's peaceful heart.

ORGANIZATIONS THAT TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT PEACE

Center for Teaching Peace

cmccarthy@starpower.net

Children of Peace, International

http://www.childrenofpeace.org

Children's Creative Response to Conflict

http://www.planet-rockland.org/conflict

The Children's Peace Pavilion

http://www.kidpeace.org

Cranes for Peace

http://www.networkearth.org/world/peace.html

The Institute for Peace and Justice

314.533.4445, ppjn@aol.com; http://www.ipj-ppj.org

Minnesota Center against Violence and Abuse

http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/

pnvcur1-6/pnvcur1-6.html

PeaceQuest http://www.celebratingpeace.com

Teaching and Learning for Peace

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/%7Emasonda/

UNESCOpack/contents/contents.htm

World Peace Project for Children/

Sadako Project http://www.sadako.org

PEACE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON YOUTH AND MILITARISM

American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102; 215.241.7000; http://www.afsc.org/default.htm

Center on Conscience and War (CCW) 1830 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202.483.2220; nisbco@nisbco.org; http://www.nisbco.org

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO) 405 14th Street, #205, Oakland, CA 94612; 510.465.1617; or 1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102; 215.563.8787; inTo@objector.org; http://www.objector.org

Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) 521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960; 845.358.4601; http://www.forusa.org

War Resisters League 339 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012; 212.228.0450; http://www.warresisters.org

INTERESTING WEBSITES

http://www.encyclopedia.com/searchpool.asp?target= pacifism&submit.x=37&submit.y=16--General information about pacifism.

http://www.salsa.net/peace/justwar1.html--Bible quotes against war and explanations of Christianity's "Just War Theory."

http://www.sss.gov/FSconsobj.htm--The US Selective Service's website page on conscientious objection and alternative service.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS ABOUT PEACE: ON-LINE BOOK LISTS AND SOURCES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handleform /102-8807131-2038505--Amazon.com's "Children: Peace."

http://www.crinfo.org/documents/mapwil/bibliography. html--Conflict resolution materials and lists from CR Info (The Conflict Resolution Information Source).

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/healingus.html-Annotated list from children's-book author Cynthia Leitich Smith.
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http://www.headstartinfo.org/infocenter/guides/peace bib.htm--Annotated list prepared by Head Start.

http://www.powells.com/subsection/ChildrensPeaceand Justice.htmI--Powell's Bookstore's list; political.

http://www.sol-plus.net/peace.htm--Antiwar book list, graded by age.

The Dress God Wears

I lift your undershirt, musky with sweat crudely lettered NO WAR and what comes s the sudden revelation that it was you this morning, snarling traffic, leading

it seemed, a river of long, beautiful limbs and all around you, in that park, history starting over again in the new lace of almonds and flowering plums and the white stars of pear

sparring with blue sky, the telephone wires sagging with, sparrows, the college boys leaning out, yelling Bomb those bastards. and the sparrows, unsettled then, circling round

and round like a lake of small wings. Though, finally, forgive me. the world is at war and all can do is hold this camisole over the unsorted laundry, the way at night

sometimes, I leaf through the drawings you stopped making years ago, trying to decide which to save, and then one rises up with the startling truth of all I don't know

about wile you are. Like this shirr and what it covers: breasts I've never touched, but that floated inside me once, still curled behind your tiny ribs, and how, for weeks

after you were born, we swam through the milky predawn hours, chest to chest and looking out at me, sometimes your face seemed a window on The black night house,

you drew years later, explaining This is where the good light lives, but she is outside playing now, waiting for her mother, which is' the dress G-d wears, to call her in

Julia B. Levine

a soldier's mother speaks

Raeanne's 22-year-old son has just come back from active duty in Afghanistan, but she's still worried.

"Jason saw a lot of action in the army infantry--kids being killed, his friends dying-it's all so dehumanizing. He's home now, but he is very, very hurt. And he is angry. My son's still suffering. He can't sleep at night. He wakes up screaming with nightmares." Her voice lowers to a whisper. "The war is not over for us. For my son, the war may never be over. He says he's OK, but he has post-traumatic stress syndrome."

According to Raeanne, Jason tells everyone that he wants to get on with his life and leave the war behind him, but he's always tense; Raeanne says he "has no sense of inner peace anymore." She worries this might lead to alcohol, drugs, or other problems, but then tentatively adds, "I think he'd go get help first, but then again, it might take something going very wrong before he'd do that."
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Jason didn't write much from Afghanistan, but he called home often. Even though he never wanted to tell her what he was going through, she could tell he and his army buddies lived with unspeakable stress 24 hours a day. "Those desolate villages," Raeanne says, "are nothing but poisonous fear for them. Every day they know they might get killed."

Back home, she worried and waited for the next call. "Sometimes I would be thinking of him and just start crying. I was so sleepless, and I felt so frustrated." Raeanne's two younger daughters, too, felt the constant loss of their brother.

"It's natural to worry. I would ask myself, 'What if he was taken prisoner?" I didn't know what I'd do if he were wounded. Or killed!" She still wonders how she would have coped with that, but she knows she would have had to.

"Now that he's back home, I just listen to him, I let him talk." Older vets have advised her not to ask Jason any questions, but instead to be there when he needs her. "It's so hard to see how raw he is--and then my morn thing kicks in, and I want to fix it, to make him better, but I can't. I feel so powerless."

Jason joined right out of high school, just before 9/11, because he wanted to serve, his mother says. She also suspects that her son's not having a father made him easy to recruit. "All that older male attention from the recruiters was intoxicating for him. He's a smart kid with good grades, but he never had a dad." The army must have felt, she imagines, like a way to fill a big, unmet need in Jason's life. She thinks the military must have recognized that need in her son. Raeanne is angry about that--very angry.

"My children already had disadvantages. I'm a childcare provider, so we never could afford horseback-riding lessons, soccer camp, things like that. We were strictly 'rice and beans.' I worked so hard trying to raise decent kids, trying to do the job of two parents. Then here comes the government with their big army vans, free pizza, a climbing wall ... I felt preyed upon by the military!"

Raeanne stops talking about her son long enough to tell other parents, "You don't have to let the high school send your kid's information to the military. You can write a note to the high school administration and tell them not to. The No Child Left Behind law says they have to do it, but you can stop it for your child."
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Jason tells her now that he feels betrayed, too. "He's reading more and saw Fahrenheit 9/11; he and his friends feel ripped off by the government. It's a bitter pill for all of us," she says.

Jason could legally be called back to duty anytime in the next three years, and he doesn't know what he'll do if that happens.

Now Raeanne worries--but not only about her son's emotional health and that he might get called back to war. She's also afraid of what might turn up physically for him in the future. "There are so many long-term health effects. They give them all these vaccinations, anthrax meds, all sorts of things. I don't think he was around depleted-uranium weapons, but you never know. I used to take care of a little girl who was born to a Gulf War vet, and she had so many severe health problems." Raeanne is even frightened about what defects might show up in her future grandchildren.

Raeanne takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "This war may not be over for our family for a long, long time, maybe even the next generation." Her voice trails off. "I just don't know ..."

Helen James is a mother of four and grandmother of many more. She lives and works as a photographer in northern California.
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