University of Virginia Library

"Fascinating Results"

At that time the legislators made
it clear that they would not accept
claims which were based on beliefs
outside of the realm of those
connected with established religions.
Indeed, for many years the
system only recognized the claims
of historically peaceful sect
(Quakers, Amish, Jehovah's
Witnesses). Recently groups such as
the Universal life church, and
others have been denied in claiming
either Ministerial or C.O. deferments.

The import of Mr. Wysanski's
decision surpasses all previous
attempts to recognize the claims of
those, who for whatever reason,
reject the concept of war in any
form. If confirmed by the Supreme
Court this decision could have
fascinating results.

Affirmation of the right of all
men to object to war on the basis
of conscience for religious or
philosophical or morally justifiable
reasons would foul the present
system unimaginably. Probably
there would be an immediate
increase in the number of registrants
claiming an I-O status.
Pursuant to this Mr. Wysanski
stated in an article in the New York
Times that, "recognition of individual
conscience will make it easy"
to claim and substantiate a I-O
claim but he felt, in regard to the
validity of the claims, "Often it is
harder to detect a fraudulent
adherent to a religious creed than
to recognize a sincere moral protestant.
We all can discern
Thoreau's integrity more quickly
than we might detect some churchman's
hypocrisy."

Certainly many registrants who
might otherwise have been drafted
have hid behind their established
faiths without really supporting the
beliefs, while many truly moral
objectors have been imprisoned or
have fled.