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Friends United Meeting |
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May 2005
Are We as Ready for a Draft as the Selective Service System Is?
By Ben Richmond
When the head of the Alternative Services Division of the U.S. Selective Service System (SSS) made an unannounced visit on the Church of the Brethren’s “On Earth Peace” office in Maryland last year, it sent shock waves across the country. Cassandra Costley’s visit became a wake up call to peace churches because the Selective Service System was working hard to be ready to induct men into the armed forces within 75 days of enabling legislation. Are the peace churches just as ready to respond?
In March, the Church of the Brethren hosted the Anabaptist Consultation on Alternative Service. Cassandra Costley was one of the panelists, along with Richard Flahavan, SSS’s Associate Director for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs and J.E. McNeil, a Quaker attorney and the Director of the Center on Conscience and War. Costley explained that her visit to “On Earth Peace” was just a spur of the moment impulse when she found herself in the area: she wondered if the Church of the Brethren might have photographs of conscientious objectors from earlier wars? If so, could she borrow them for training materials she was preparing for local draft boards she was charged with forming? Richard Flahaven strenuously asserted, “The bottom line is there is not going to be a draft.” He said, there is no military necessity; there has been no special funding; the president has said there won’t be a draft in his administration.
J.E. McNeil responded that, in fact, the military is already relying on coercion (through stop-loss orders extending reservists call-ups). Despite what’s been described as a back-door draft, recruiting quotas are not being met in those parts of the Armed Forces that are actually seeing combat deployment. For instance, in December, 2004, the Army National Guard fell 30 percent below its recruiting goals. “I predict we’re going to have a draft,” J.E. said. “I hope I’m wrong.”
There is already another “back-door draft.” Fifteen thousand armed forces recruiters are invading the schools of the nations poorest neighborhoods, assisted by the No Child Left Behind Act that requires every high school receiving federal funding to provide the military with students’ personal contact information. (Note: parents or students can refuse, if they know to.) The linkage between military recruitment, racism and economic injustice is clear; the question for the church is, “How do our programs speak to core needs of economically oppressed communities?”
Quaker participants in the consultation agreed the church needs to prepare contingency plans now to respond to a potential draft. Quakers do not have any large-scale voluntary service programs; even the Brethren and Mennonites are not prepared for the possible large influx of alternative service workers should a draft be reinstated. If there were to be a draft, would our young people know how to respond? Would our Meetings be ready to counsel the thousands who would turn to us for advice?
Questions and Answers on the Draft
How quickly could there be a draft?
The Selective Service System is required to be ready to provide men for induction into the armed forces within either six months or two weeks of authorization by Congress and signature into law by the president. This is why they require 18-year-old men to register and why they are filling and training draft boards.
What would happen were a draft implemented?
Once a draft was authorized, Selective Service would hold a lottery to randomly assign a number to every date in the year. Potential draftees would get the number assigned to their birthday. Those turning 20 during the calendar year in which the lottery is held would be drafted first, in the order of their lottery number until the number required were inducted.
When can you file for conscientious objector status?
Under the law, there is no provision to file for any classification until after you are actually drafted; then you would have only a short time to make your claim. Under the six-month regulations, draftees would be ordered to report to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for a pre-induction physical. Usually about half fail the physical and are classified 4-F. Those who pass the physical are classified I-A (available for military service) and have just 10 days to file a claim for reclassification (that is, to claim hardship or conscientious objector status).
Under the emergency, two-week regulations, draftees would receive a Mailgram giving them about a week in which to file claims (using form 9) prior to reporting to MEPS. Under this system, if you report to MEPS and pass the physical, you will be on a bus to boot camp that very day.
Once a person files for reclassification, he cannot be drafted until there is a final determination on the claim, including appeals. However, it is important to realize that the Selective Service System expects it will be a matter of weeks between the time a draftee is initially alerted and the claim is heard and finally settled. If I-0 status is granted, the conscientious objector will be required to perform civilian service work “in the national health, safety or interest.”
What is conscientious objection?
A conscientious objector is defined by law as a person who is opposed to (1) participation (2) in war (3) in any form by reason of a (4) sincerely held (5) religious or ethical belief.
1. “Participation” means that the person is either opposed to any personal involvement in the military in general or to combat in particular.
2. The objector does not have to be a pacifist, and may even be willing to use force in self-defense or in defense against immediate acts of violence against someone else. “War” is not a spiritual war between powers of good and evil; it is state-organized military violence.
3. The objection must be against war “in any form.” This is peculiar because the dominant Christian teaching since the fourth century has been the theory that some wars are just, while others are unjust and should be objected to. Nevertheless, Congress only recognizes objection to all war. Quakers say that when Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies, he made it impossible for us to participate in war in any form.
4. A major question for the local draft board is whether the objection is “sincerely held.” Claimants will have at least a 20-minute interview with their local board and can bring up to three witnesses to this hearing. A good file of supporting documents is important. (See below).
5. The claim must be based on “religious” beliefs or “ethical” principles which function in the same way that belief in God functions in the life of a religious person. It is not necessary to be a member of a church, but the claimant must describe the underlying beliefs which form the basis of the claim, and how those beliefs became important to him (or her).
Three Things To Do Now
1. Begin to think through the questions you would be required to answer if you filed for C.O. status. It is great to do this with your friends in Sunday School or youth group. From Form 22 (Selective Service System) these questions are:
• Describe your beliefs which are the reasons for your claiming conscientious objection to combatant military training and service or to all military training and service.
• Describe how and when you acquired these beliefs.
• Explain what most clearly shows that your beliefs are deeply held. You may wish to include a description of how your beliefs affect the way you live.
2. Begin to establish a way of life that demonstrates your beliefs actually mean something to you. Do you attend worship regularly? Do you do participate in service projects? Do your beliefs affect how you dress or act? Have you attended peace conferences? Spoken out or written letters to public officials or your school newspaper? If you believe you are a conscientious objector, write a statement of your beliefs and ask that your Meeting enter it into the minutes of its business meeting.
3. Create a file that you will have available in the event of a draft. When you register, write, “I am a conscientious objector” on the registration card and make a photocopy of it before sending it in. SSS will ignore it, but when they send you a letter of acknowledgment, you can use Form 3B to “correct” their failure to note your stance. They will ignore this, too, but by photocopying it and sending it certified mail, return receipt requested, you record your intent. Keep copies of your answers to the Form 22 questions. Document activities that support your claim. Get three to five letters of support from people who can attest to your sincerity, even if they disagree with you.
Ben Richmond is the Director of North American Ministries for Friends United Meeting.