A Question of Values
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 11/23/2004 - 16:22
(Originally published in Greater Democracy)
The phrase, “A Question of Values” reminds me of something from my college days, a symposium or something like that. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Whatever it was, it seems as if “A Question of Values” is something we need to thinking about.
At Wooster, I started off a religion major and ended up becoming a philosophy major. Back then, I read a wide spectrum of magazines about Christianity from Christian Century, to Christianity Today to Sojourners.
As people start talking about the ‘moral values’ that some polls say was such an important aspect of the past election, I was interested to read this article in Sojourners. It has a good exploration into what people really think about ‘moral values’, aided by this poll from Zogby.
Zogby’s poll found that the most urgent moral problem in American culture was greed and materialism, followed by poverty and economic justice.
All of this has been kicking around in my mind this week, as we prepare for Thanksgiving, and look forward to Christmas. As I surfed blogs, using BlogExplosion, which I highly recommend as a way of seeing many blogs outside of whatever political echo chamber one might reside in, I found this entry entitled Merry Consumerism..
So, where do I go with all of this? This Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for everyone who remains concerned about the greed and materialism that a culture of Consumerism and Corporatism is promoting, and I will rededicate myself to the struggle against this greed and materialism.
American values and the draft: Freedom from the draft
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/02/2004 - 05:20.We should start framing the war as about freedom from the draft
Some people say that it doesn't make sense to talk about the draft now, since the government has said that a draft is not being planned. But the best way to prevent the draft from happening is to say no before it starts. This is important for several reasons:
1. Given how the government has used terrorism to push unrelated agendas, we can't predict what will happen after the next terrorist attack on America (we should therefore prepare for the worst)
2. We have a better chance of framing the issue when we start the discussion - that's why draftfreedom.org was started and why we talk about "freedom from the draft" as opposed to "avoidance of the draft"
3. Each time the government must deny that there will be a draft, it becomes harder for the draft to happen
4. Talking about the draft allows people to think of the war in a more personal way
5. Talking about the draft brings up issues like the poverty draft - which is important to saving the lives of Americans already caught in this war
Another reason to start talking about the draft now is that it gives young people time to prepare. Once a draft starts, people will face tough choices. Claiming conscientious objector status is not an automatic process - it helps to be prepared with a documented track record of opposition to war on deep moral and ethical grounds. Moving from the country is also not an easy process, nor is going to jail in protest. Exercising your freedom is never easy, especially when the government does not recognize your rights and freedoms. Being prepared is essential if young Americans are to decide what to do for themselves.
Prepare your case as a conscientious objector