Former Chaplain’s Peace Witness
Launches Campaign to Honor COs

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The minister of Austin Mennonite Church, Christian Peacemaker Teams member, and former Chaplain, Lt Col, USAF, Dr. Garland Robertson recently participated in the Christian Witness for Peace in Iraq presence in Washington DC on Friday, March 16. Robertson was among more than 3000 persons who shared worship and prayers together, journeyed in a prayer walk from the National Cathedral to the White House, and gathered in Lafayette Park pleading with politicians to bring the war in Iraq to an end.

Additionally Robertson was among 222 persons who conducted a civil disobedience action by gathering for prayer in a restricted zone along the sidewalk in front of the White House. These persons were eventually arrested and processed, given citations, and released. Yet Robertson took the action a step further. By declining to identify himself Robertson created an opportunity to explain his motivation for being present for the witness to a district judge.

After being arrested Robertson was separated from the other lawbreakers and locked up in the Metropolitan Police Department jail. Robertson says he was designated ‘John Doe’ and treated with courtesy and respect while being subjected to the regulations imposed by police officers, US marshals, and jail personnel. While being transported between facilities he was cuffed with hands behind his back; then photographed and fingerprinted; placed in a holding cell with a combo lavatory/toilet unit and allowed to rest on a stainless steel mattress; offered generous food and juice; and while being prepared for his court appearance, like 75 other detainees, his legs were put in shackles. Robertson was told by marshals that because he chose not to identify himself, he would be among the last persons brought into court.

Toward the end of the afternoon on Saturday, Robertson was lead into court and given an audience with Judge Elizabeth Wingo. He first introduced himself as a former military chaplain and explained that his identity was withheld because he had witnessed on behalf of certain soldiers in Iraq who were unable to be present to pray and to plead with political officials to end the war. Robertson has been scheduled to reappear in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on April 25 to address the two charges levied against him: failure to obey a lawful order and failure to make identification known.

While riding the Greyhound bus back to Austin, Robertson reflected on reasons that lead him to take this action. “Many persons had planned to participate in this witness for peace, yet many others would have done so if they knew of the deception which has been used to promote this war.” Citing a report from a study commissioned by Rep. Henry Waxman, Robertson explained that ‘Iraq on the Record’ details 237 false statements used by the president and his staff: 161 misleading statements were made prior to the start of the war to generate public support and 76 misleading statements were made after the war started to justify the decision to go to war. Robertson says these lies were used to scare the American people into consenting to the president’s obsession to initiate war with Iraq.

“Because of these kinds of discoveries, many more religious groups have joined with those who originally opposed the war”, says Robertson. “Yet in spite of this declaration, soldiers of faith communities who have spoken out against the war have been denied Conscientious Objector classification. These perceptive servants have only two options: either continue to participate in the war and violate the content of their conscience, or refuse to participate and face court martial, jail time, and a bad conduct discharge.” Robertson says the minor discomfort he experienced while in the DC jail does not begin to come close to the distress that the country is creating for these young people. “Whenever they recognize they have been manipulated by lies to serve in this war, they are not allowed to withdraw from it. We are permitting the spirit of these soldiers to be amputated by an abusive political system,” says Robertson. “Their innocent desire to serve the needy and protect the endangered is being betrayed a nd wrongly used to perpetuate a shameless encroachment into the legitimate commitment to self-determination of other communities and nations.” Robertson maintains that this practice is a national tragedy and a crime against the human family.

By his action Robertson intends to place in motion a campaign designed to encourage the involvement of every faith community in the country. Robertson believes that we can wait no longer to trust congressional persons to protect our young people from this abusive practice. “There is a way for us to engage the system and provide this protection to them by appealing to the constitutional prohibition against coercion of conscience.”

Robertson urges every religious group to commit to two initiatives. First, begin working to extend the constitutional privilege of Conscientious Objector status to all soldiers whose faith community has denounced this war as immoral or unjust as well as support and assist them through this process. And second, engage the congressional Armed Services Committees to ensure that every military official who inhibits, harasses, or in any other way retaliates against any soldier who seeks Conscientious Objector classification be reprimanded, and, if appropriate, removed from office, as well as guarantee that all CO applications are processed according to established timetables.

Conscientious objection to war is a more glorious service to humanity than perpetuating violent confrontation to manage conflict. Conscientious objection to war affirms the dignity and dreams of every person who shares life on this planet with us. Conscientious objection to war represents a commitment to resolve conflict with equitable solutions rather than temporarily repress it. Conscientious objection to war is a more courageous commitment because it dares to use the force of relationship to embrace enemies rather than using a weapon to kill them.

“I appeal to every soldier whose conscience judges this war to be immoral or unjust. Refuse to participate in the war and seek Conscientious Objector status. Inform your faith community, your congressional representation, and the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate of your intention. Share with them often the status of your application. Persist with your commitment to honor the dictates of your conscience even if it means going to jail. I know there are ethicists who claim the community can practice behaviors which would be immoral for an individual to practice. Whether this is true or not is not the question for now. For now the question is, .’Can the state can make this decision for you and then lie in order to acquire your allegiance to a national cause?’ No national loyalty is worthy if it causes you to violate the innate wisdom within you of what is right and what is wrong.”

Robertson continued, "The United States probably lost the last vestiges of her soul in 1991 with the devastating attack on Iraqi soldiers desperately trying to withdraw from Kuwait, and we have not yet redeemed it. Why else would the United States continue to maneuver with arrogance in the international community in ways that create resentment which leads to resistance which leads to conflict which leads to violent confrontation? Why else would our president lie to us in order to conduct and sustain this disabling private war? Why else would congressional officials refuse to hold political leaders accountable for such deliberate deceptive measures? Why else would the people of this country fail to protect the future of our daughters and sons from this permanently impairing national abuse?

I am a minister in the Mennonite Church, a historical peace community. My passionate response to this national tragedy is prompted by the message of Jesus. Yet the message of Jesus is not unique to Christianity. It lies at the core of almost every religious expression in the earth: a call to honor the ancient prophetic summons to promote justice, practice mercy, and preserve respect when fashioning any relationship across every boundary. If the soul of our nation is to be redeemed, the process must begin soon. And people in the faith community can do this. Like the ancient citizens of that great city of Nineveh, let us repent, and turn away from our wicked ways, and from the violence that is in our hands. And let us call mightily upon our God. Who knows? Perhaps God will repent of the evil that has been spoken against us, and we will not perish.”

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