From Thought to Action

In my continued brainstorming about how I can best work toward ending war, I decided it would be helpful to gain some hands-on experience with others who are trying to achieve that same goal. To this end, I spent last week volunteering at the Center on Conscience & War (CCW) in Washington, D.C.

Since 1940, CCW has been advocating for the rights of conscientious objectors as well as providing them with invaluable advice and supportive counseling. Although it was originally formed by an association of religious groups and is still considered a "faith based organization," CCW is adamant about its support of all conscientious objectors to war. I quickly discovered that my own experience of their support for my non-religious conscientious objection is but one case among many.

A second example of their service to non-religious objectors turned out to be one of the biggest highlights of my week. One of the days when I was volunteering, I met a former Naval Officer who had been discharged just one week prior to my arrival at CCW, and like myself, this individual wanted to do some volunteer work as well. This opportunity was extremely meaningful for me as the two of us were both discharged recently and could so readily relate to each other's experiences. I felt an almost immediate and strong level of kinship, and in addition to participating in some of CCW's training together, we also spent time swapping stories and congratulating each other over lunch.

We resonated over the sense of isolation that we each felt throughout the process. Not that we didn't have the support and encouragement of both significant people in our lives and from CCW, but more so the feeling that even our best friend or an experienced counselor could not offer the unspoken understanding of someone who was personally facing the obstacles of having a conscientious objection as a member of the military. The reality is that it's definitely not hard to feel out of place in an organization of hundreds of thousands of people, especially when it seems that you are the only one to have a moral resignation about participating in war.

Echoing each other's sentiments, we both agreed that it would have been great to be connected with someone else who was going through the process of conscientious objection at the same time as we were. Amidst the myriad military support organizations and peace activist groups, neither of us is aware of anything geared specifically at connecting conscientious objectors to each other. However, given all my recent thinking about how I can advance liberty and stop war, I immediately jumped to the possibility of starting such a network myself.

For the moment, my ideas have only been briefly discussed, but it's definitely an exciting option and a project that would have particular meaning for me. Your feedback is appreciated, and to help evidence the very real world of military conscientious objection, included below is a slideshow from CCW's website. The photos are all of recent conscientious objectors, and they are mostly arranged in a before (uniformed) and after (civilian) format, with yours truly included near the end.

*As a final note, CCW isn't limited to helping military personnel with conscientious objection. They also deal with issues of AWOL/UA, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Hardship discharge, Pregnancy/Parenthood discharge, and many other concerns of military members and their families. If you, or someone you know, would be in need of their help either call them directly at 1-800-379-2679 or call the GI Rights Hotline of which they are a member organization.

My blogging schedule has gotten a little off, but stay tuned as next week I'm planning on meeting members of Free Keene!

War is an Effect of Government

Knowing that my readership spans a continuum of people, from those who acknowledge the inherent violence of government to those who do not, I strive to consistently create or present meaningful content for the entirety of this audience. My goal in doing so remains the same: to end the systematic and legitimized initiation of violence in our world (of which war is the most obvious).

The question of what means are most effective to this end has been weighing heavily on my mind in the weeks since my discharge. Despite my confidence on a few crucial points, I intend to be continually reevaluating this question as I learn more. If you have ideas, resources, or personal experiences that you think are insightful, please share them publicly via the comment feature or privately with me by email.

Of one thing I am sure, and this is why I have embedded the following video. As regards the violent initiation of force or threats thereof, I firmly believe in the narrator's conclusion, "When we truly see it, and feel it, and speak it clearly, it will end." This process began for me as I read Atlas Shrugged. My hope is that this film will similarly sharpen your own perception of reality as well as your desire to convey the truth to others.