“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”
[This is an update to a previous article I wrote for LewRockwell.com. I believe the message is even more relevant today. I hope that young men—and those who influence them—heed these words and act today.]
In 2022, Lew Rockwell wrote an excellent 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 had 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 Ruskies responded to our peaceful overtures to Ukraine.”
Anyone my age who is no longer gaslighted remembers discussions between NATO and the Soviet Union that allowed German reunification without a single shot being fired. The agreement implicitly guaranteed that NATO would not expand eastward. Even as that agreement was breached over time, many voices (Ron Paul in particular) both recalled the agreement and warned against continued expansion.
Those voices have rung true, resulting in a tragic hot war in Eastern Europe. This is not an aberration, but part of a broader continuation of a belligerent US foreign policy, regardless of party. Then, just a few months ago, Trump directed the military and intelligence services to kidnap the president of Venezuela, with pugnacious prattle that included overt threats to topple additional governments.
That warning rings even louder today with the unprovoked regime change war against Iran. Unlike four years ago, at the start of the war in Ukraine—when people who rarely thought about war allowed propaganda to stir their emotions—the populace was not championing war. Currently, there are war parades marching through US streets, with the only calls to war emanating from the ever-bloodthirsty, such as Lindsey Graham.
Nevertheless, the war propaganda machine can turn something like an Iranian attack on a US Navy vessel into cheers and demands for retaliation and escalation.
If you are draft age, you likely do not want to die for Trump and the war-mongering neocons and their interests. And many of 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 bloodlust, government control of oil and oil pipelines, or US global hegemony offends your conscience, you must begin preparations to defend your soul.
Events can turn quickly. No one can say that war and a draft are imminent, nor can anyone say that they are not, 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 to satisfy the board that you meet three criteria: opposition that is based on religious training or belief, ethical or moral belief, and a demonstration that those beliefs are sincere.
It will be your 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 ideologically similar that area may appear on the outside.
You must 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 you 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. In addition, talk to your pastor, 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 certainly many other actions you can take, those above will provide evidence that your views on war are sincere and deeply held. If killing will rot your soul, act, and act soon.
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