We are all governed by our conscience, a persons conscience is what shapes our decisions about what is right and what is wrong. But what happens when our conscience disagree’s with the law of the country we live in? Today millions of civilian’s all over the world are imprisoned because their conscience cannot reconcile the killing of another human-being as as acceptable. These civilians are known as conscientious objectors. This report brings the past and the present together to bring light to the darkness conscientious objectors face over the world.
To understand Conscientious objection you need to understand the following definitions:
Conscience: 1.The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward
…show more content…
Due to the enforced military conscription on either side of the war, and the harsh, inhumane treatment of conscientious objectors to military service during the war years, the door was opened to debate about how to deal with conscientious objection and the lawfulness of conscientious objection to participation in military service. Both side of the conflict faced these issues.
An example of Consciences imprisonment during the First World War by the Allied Forces, is found in the historic events surrounding the “Richmond Sixteen”. Thousands of Conscientious objectors were detained at the Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire, for refusing to participate in the First World War. Sixteen young men, including Methodists, socialists, a Quaker, International Bible Students (Later known as Jehovahs Witnesses), a Lay reader and a Congregationalist, were illegally taken from Richmond Castle and transported to the French front in iron bonds. (ENGLISH HERITAGE. 2000.) Once they reached the front they were told that they were considered to be on active service which meant that they would face a firing squad if they refused to obey orders. Due to their refusal to obey orders they were severely punished including being fixed to a cross with barbed wire, ams stretched on either side, and left in this position for two hours at a time. Later on, the ‘Richmond Sixteen’ were court-martialled and sentenced to death. Prime Minister Asquith changed their sentence to ten years imprisonment just before they were to be executed. (My learning. 2017. WW1 Conscientious