Standing for a soldier’s right to conscience
CounterPunch
by Susan Van Haitsma
02/28/07
In Mark’s court-martial, the fact that his conscientious objector claim had been denied prior to a looming second deployment could not be used as a defense to the charges of desertion and missing movement to which he pleaded guilty. However, it is important to note that the conscientious objector approval process in the military is considered by many to be a broken system. By law, the military must allow soldiers to apply for discharge as conscientious objectors when they have experienced, after enlisting, a ‘crystallization’ of their moral, ethical or religious beliefs about participating in war. However, J.E. McNeil, director of the Center on Conscience & War, says that, according to military figures, only about 50 percent of CO claims are being approved, and anecdotal evidence suggests the percentage may be even lower...
http://www.counterpunch.org/haitsma02282007.html
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Mark+Wilkerson
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Watada
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=redress
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Susan+Van+Haitsma
by Susan Van Haitsma
02/28/07
In Mark’s court-martial, the fact that his conscientious objector claim had been denied prior to a looming second deployment could not be used as a defense to the charges of desertion and missing movement to which he pleaded guilty. However, it is important to note that the conscientious objector approval process in the military is considered by many to be a broken system. By law, the military must allow soldiers to apply for discharge as conscientious objectors when they have experienced, after enlisting, a ‘crystallization’ of their moral, ethical or religious beliefs about participating in war. However, J.E. McNeil, director of the Center on Conscience & War, says that, according to military figures, only about 50 percent of CO claims are being approved, and anecdotal evidence suggests the percentage may be even lower...
http://www.counterpunch.org/haitsma02282007.html
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Mark+Wilkerson
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Watada
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=redress
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Susan+Van+Haitsma
rudkla - 1. Mär, 16:51
