A
call to conscience in a time of war
As citizens of the United States, we of
the Cal State Long Beach campus community
find ourselves at a critical juncture. Our
nation’s leaders plan to take us into a
war in the Middle East among people who,
wrongly or rightly, hate us. In addition,
our president has announced a national security
strategy by which our armed forces will
preemptively strike any other nation that
might seem to pose a challenge to our military
and economic dominance.
Our president promises, “if necessary,”
to act outside concert with the community
of nations who have been our allies and
to bypass the only international organization
that exists, the United Nations, despite
having lately received a U.S.-negotiated
Security Council resolution.
In such a crisis each of us must make ourselves
not only informed but as decisive, resolute
and responsible as possible. In a 21st Century
world on the verge of violence without precedent,
we are called to take a stand with or against
this nation’s leadership.
Among those most needing to inform themselves
in this preemptive war context are military-age
students. Those most at risk on our campus
are the many who in connection to their
ROTC program have joined the Army Reserves.
They are within months, even weeks of possibly
being sent overseas to be agents of the
impending war(s).
At this juncture the most dangerous thing
they can do is not to form their consciences
in the clearest way possible—to decide whether
they can or cannot obey the president’s
call to do such actions or to become conscientious
resisters. First they must weigh whether
this precipitous war is just—whether preemptive
attack in itself is moral and under what
circumstances, whether in the 21st Century
one country alone can be the arbiter of
world war and peace, whether there is a
clear and present danger, whether the proposed
attack is the last resort to resolve grievances,
whether a right intention and not vengeance,
oil, empire, etc. directs our leaders, whether
there is hope of success, whether there
is proportionality of means used and whether
civilian immunity is guaranteed and to what
extent.
If any of these elements are missing, this
war must be judged unjust and cooperation
in it unethical, immoral, and a crime. The
point here is not to argue for or against
the impending war(s), but to prepare the
individuals most vulnerable to its call-to-arms
to decide whether they can cooperate or
not. To decide, they need unbiased information,
counseling, and a processing that is well
documented.
First on their agenda, especially if they
have any doubts regarding this war, is establishing
a personal file, logging their efforts to
be informed and counseled. During the Gulf
war many youth found themselves called up,
some already on ships heading for the Gulf
before they faced the question whether they
were ready to kill or maim an enemy just
as young and confused as themselves. When
some declared conscientious objection, they
were imprisoned in brigs, kept from legal
counsel, brought before court martial boards,
and forced to plea bargain to six months
in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
Lacking any personal documented history
building toward their decision, they had
no credibility.
This needed preparation does not just apply
to ROTC cadets and Reservists. If the Iraq
war should evoke a wider Middle Eastern
response and become enlarged and prolonged,
it is certain that a universal draft will
begin. Just such a bill (H.R. 3598) is already
in House committee awaiting developments.
A whole generation of youth will be in need
of the same walk-through of conscience and
documenting of the steps in their search
for decision.
The first thing, therefore, for any people
who have the slightest doubt should be to
begin keeping a personal file with dated
newspaper articles, dated and signed letters
from religious mentors, documents on war
and peace from their religious denominations,
a personal philosophy of war and peace,
witnessed and dated by relatives, clergy,
and counselors, a dated journal of thoughts
upon the conditions for war, films seen,
books and articles read. The principle should
be: it cannot hurt and it might help.
The campus community is often the first
and last recourse for crises in the place
of a parent. CSULB should mount a counseling
service of teachers and staff who themselves
have faced the same questions, made themselves
knowledgeable, and can pass on basic legal
advice to those who seek it for themselves
or for loved ones. Several of us have taken
courses and workshops precisely for this
counseling during the Gulf War. As many
as needed can be trained.
This proposal is not intended to cast a
shadow on ROTC or the Army Reserve. It is
to prepare consciences, which is crucial
for responsible citizenship and is of the
first order of our humanity.
Robert J. Brophy is a English professor
at Cal State Long Beach.
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