To the Editor:
While there are reasoned and compelling arguments for the value of compulsory national service, those of us who were in college during the Vietnam years have been very thankful that an entire generation of college students has not known the threat of a military draft. Despite reassurances from the government that there are no plans to re-institute conscription, we all know that the machinery to do so is in place, and that continuing military needs for the "War on Terror" may in fact lead to a change in policy.
I am thankful that our country has always recognized the right of citizens to become conscientious objectors to military service. While many persons can be conscientious soldiers, others cannot be. The process for establishing one's claim to be a conscientious objector, however, can not be casual or last minute. If you find that your deepest convictions lead you to oppose participation in war, it is important to establish a record that confirms those convictions.
Potential conscientious objectors should begin to build a file, containing any documents that express their convictions as well as testimonies from friends, family, teachers, religious advisers and others. Such testimonies establish that one has thought through and expressed these convictions over time. They document the requirement that such beliefs are "deeply held."
A military draft is not upon us now, but it certainly is not unthinkable. It is incumbent now upon all young persons who would be subject to conscription to think about their beliefs, and, if appropriate, to start documenting them.
