Conscientious Objectors

Conscientious Objectors

War was not the perfect idea for everyone at that time. Everyone was not eager to serve in the war. Many people protested and had different reasons for not to join the war. Conscientious objector can be defined as a person who claimed the right to perform in the military services. Some of these objectors came to their beliefs on their own; others were members of several Christian denominations that are known as the historic peace churches. These include the Quakers, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Seventh Day Adventists. In York County, Nebraska, Henderson is a predominantly Mennonite community. People objected in moral and religious basis in taking part in the war and any kind of violence. The conscientious objectors were jailed or penalized during the time of First World War But during the Second World War congress recognized the contentious objectors to be morally and ethically right. Hence the congress created a new law under which the contentious objectors had two options, one they could go to the military but serve in the medical corps or other one to do non combat duties or alternate duties here at home and work for national importance. . Being conscientious objectors was almost considered to be non patriot or cowards. Although the experiences of conscientious objectors in the First World War meant that they were treated more humanely in the Second, their views were still often misunderstood and scorned, and their families (and careers) suffered. The Conscientious Objectors s worked to demonstrate that they were not cowards and to sow the seeds for justice and peace in the future. Many of them helped to launch the post-war Civil Rights movement. As U.S. troops came home from battle, many COs replaced them (especially in Europe, less in the Pacific islands or in Japan), working tirelessly to help in post-war recovery, feeding and clothing civilians. CO’s have been treated and ranked bad by many people throughout history, but their impact has been great. The co’s used the way of nonviolence and still showed their patriotic duty towards the nation. The CO’s showed the general public the new expression of democracy. The beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the acceptance of Gandhi's nonviolence originated as the CO’s movement originated in the world war two. Conscientious objectors in World War II who served their time in jail helped end segregation in U.S. prisons. These COs also developed the way for the draft resisters during the Vietnam War and for tax resisters of recent years.