Our militarized society fails to appreciate Conscientious Objectors.

Every year several holidays celebrate war and militarism:  Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day are national holidays.

In many, many ways militarism is honored and celebrated, but peace and people with religious and conscientious objections to war are ignored, if not vilified.

On September 4, 2019, the Port of Olympia announced that it will celebrate military troops on Sept. 6 with sirens and flashing lights.

I’m still waiting for nearly 50 years for any local governments to celebrate Conscientious Objectors – the many people in the U.S. and elsewhere whose consciences or religious faiths prevent us from participating in war.

Our draft boards recognized the validity of our C.O. claims (mine in 1972), but we are excluded from the kinds of benefits and preferences that military veterans receive.

JFK was right when he said wars will continue as long as Conscientious Objectors are denied the respect and thanks that military people receive.

We need to DE-MILITARIZE OUR WHOLE SOCIETY, along with de-militarizing our foreign policy.

 

 

 

About GlenAnderson 1499 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org