Conscientious Objectors are a group of people who have claimed the right to refuse to perform combatic military service on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The Department of Defense defines conscientious objection as a “firm, fixed, and sincere objection to the participation in war in any form or the bearing of arms, by reason of religious training and/or belief.” (Conscientious Handbook pg 57a). Conscientious Objection has been an ongoing battle since the beginning of war. Conscientious objection to war has never been a popular choice in any time period or in any place. In the United States, there have been varying levels of official acceptance and accommodation for conscientious objectors through the years.
In some countries today, this position can mean long prison terms and even the death sentence. Still, conscientious objection has been the only choice possible for thousands who could not live with themselves otherwise. Two types of service today in the united states are available to conscientious objectors, of which, if either, assigned is
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Over the duration of the conflict, the Selective Service recognized 171,000 conscientious objectors; 3,275 soldiers received discharges for conscientious objector status that developed after their induction into the military. Though as many as 300,000 other applicants were denied deferment. Nearly 600,000 men illegally evaded the draft; about 200,000 were formally accused of draft offenses. Between 30,000 and 50,000 fled to Canada; another 20,000 fled to other countries or lived underground in America. Conscription stopped three years before U.S. involvement in Vietnam did. President Nixon thought that ending the draft would end the massive opposition to that war, but in this he was