Friday. October 2i. not

SCARLET AND BLACK

hqo Thrn

 

Are You a Conscientious Objeotor?
Supreme Court Clarifies SS Definition

By RICHARD SCHNEIROV

Young men, seeking drsir eic
emotion more often today. may
choose a position of conscien-
tious objection to war only to
have it declared legauy unac-
oepraoie.

The conscientious objection
classification was established by
Congress, and can at any time
Ire revoked. According to sec-
tion 6i or the Universal Milirary
Training and Service Act oi 1951
a “C0” is an individual who
“by reason or religious training
and beliei, is conscientiously op.
posed ro participation in war in
any lorm. Religious training
and belief in this connection
means an individual's belief in
a relation to a Supreme Being
involving duties superior to
those arising from any human
relation, our does not include
essentially political, sociological
or philisophical views or merely
a personal moral code."

For the Individual who is I
member of a theistic, organ-
ized religion there is usually
little trouble in obtaining
“C0” sums. He hll merely
to atilrm his belief in I Su-
preme Being and then prove
by witnesses or reiererwe that
ha is sincere in his objection
to war. However, the individ.
ull who does not believe in
God or has dimbts will run
into some dﬂﬂculty.

Until recently agnostic or
atheism: “C05" were denied
d e s i r e d classification. and
many times went to prison. But
on March 8, 1965, a landmark
Supreme Court decision was
handed down in the case oi the
United States vs. Daniel Seeger.
Seeger stated that his “skep-
ticism or disbelief in the exist»
Brice oi God “did” not neces-
sarily mean lack oi faith in
anything whatsoever"; and that
his was a "belief in and devo~
tion to goodness and virtue for
their own sakes and a religious
faith in a purely ethical creed."
Seeger's local Selective Serv-
ice Board denied his applica«
troii for “CO" status because
his objection to war was not
based upon a heliei in a rela-
tion to a Supreme Being. In its
decision to allow Seeger's
claim. the Court stated its new
interpretation oi the Selective
Service Act: The test of belief
in a relation to a Supreme Be-
ing is whether a given oelier
that is sincere and meaningiui
occupies a place in the like or
its possessor parallel to that
filled by the orthodox belief in
God or one who clearly quali-

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SWEATERS - DRESSEI

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‘KINNELL NEWTON

ties for the exemption. Where
such belieis have parallel po-
sitions in the lives of their re-
spective holders we cannot say
that one is in ‘a relation to a
Supreme Being’ and the other
is not. . . . Local boards and
Courts in this sense are not
free to reject beliefs because
they consider them ‘incomprev
hensible.’ Their task is to (i!-
clde whether the helieis pro-
ressed by a registrant are sin-
cerely held and whether they
are, in his own scheme or
things, religious.”

An aspect or the law which is
ambiguous is the phrase “train-
ing and belief.” The two terms
training and oeliei were meant
to be viewed as a single con-
cept. A iederal court held that
“so tar as Congress was think-
ing. it regarded it as meaning
no more than individual expe
rience supporting beliei; a
mere background against which
sincerity could he tested,” The
word religious does not neces
sarily reier to orthodox views.
The individual “CO" does not
have to belong to a church or
attend Sunday School.

The clause “war in any
form” is also very important.
The ‘co'i must not only ob.
ject to the particular war. but
object Io ALL WIr including
war against I state such as
Nazi Germany. This clause
prevents peopll whose view:
are "political, sociological. or
philosophical” irorn becoming
elem."

There is still another impor-
tant decision to be made by the
“C0." He can ask [or noncom-
batant duty in the army, in
which case he will probably end
up as a medic. The noncom<
batant is classified MO. The
"C0” can also object to all
iorms or military service. in
this case he will be classified IO
and assigned to civilian work
in the national interest —- most
likely as a worker in one or the
many government - sponsored
programs. it is also possible
that at "ca" will object to being
connected in any way with the
military establishment. If he
reiuses to even accept civilian
Work, the “C0" is in serious
difficulty with the law. Most (if
these extreme objectors end up
in jail — the penalty being a
term up to ﬁve years and/or
a fine or not more than ten
thousand dollars.

What are the procedures one

must go through to become
classified as a “CO”? The first
opportunity the registrant gets
is when he ﬁlls out 555 Form
No. 100. This is mailed to each
individual after he register!
with his local board. The pro!-
pective “CO" then signs a state-
ment on the form stating that
he is opposed to participation in
war in any iorm and requesting

} Senate

(Continued (mm Page 1)

Dave shellenoarger, north
campus social chairman, and
Chairman Oi the initiative Fund
Committee, reported that $365
has already been allotted to
diirerent halls, leaving $1,090 in
the fund.

Shellenbarger said that in ad-
dition to the individual hall
sponsor, the event must include
at least one of the following: a
men's hall, a women‘s hall, the
raculty, or die whole campus.
He emphasized that the event
need not necessarily be coed.

535 Form 150. it a person has 9—._

already filled out form 100
without signing the ”C0" state-
ment he can at any time re-
quest that his local Selective
Service Board send his special
form 150.

The Special Form ior Curr
scientious Objectors SSS Form
150 is divided into ﬁve parts.
They include I Claim ior ere
emption, ll Religious Training
and Belief, lll General back-
ground, lv Participation in or-
ganizarions and v Roierences.
If the “C0" is a student he
should ask {or a student deter-
ment. Thus he will be classified
is or 115 until ills name is
called, At this time he will
either be Classified M or 1A0.
11' a person does not receive
his desired classification. he
should ask tor a hearing with
his board at once.

The individual who thinks
he is - uco" or is on the
borderline should check him-
sell by answering the ioiiow-
log sample questions: What
process or reasoning led me
to hold my View? in what
way and to whom have 1 ex-
pressed my views? what soc.
ruieos have i made ior my
conscience? Am I against all
war? Why do I object to kill-
ing? Do i have a duty to the
community? What method do
I use to resist evil?

Graduate Honored

Dr. Robert N. Noyce. Grin-
neli ’45, has been awarded a
medal by the Franklin Insti-
tute. Awards oi the Franklin
institute are given annually to
men and women who have done
outstanding work in the physi-
cal sciences or engineering.

Noyce was recognized ror
scaling down and improving the
reliability and periormance oi
increasingly complex electrical
circuits used for such purposes
as radio and television receiv-
ers and ior computers.

Noyce is chairman or the
college's board oi trustees.

penning;

my: Hasr ovum!
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TOM'S IONGHORN

 

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