Michael Peabody, editor of ReligiousLiberty.TV, writes for the July / August 2010 issue of Liberty Magazine. The full article is available in print and online at http://www.libertymagazine.org/index.php?id=1636
EXCERPT:
The date was June 5, 1917, the first day of the draft. Sousa’s Band struck up “Stars and Stripes Forever” and the 6,000 in attendance at the American Medical Association Convention in New York City rose to their feet as former president Theodore Roosevelt walked across the stage.
The United States had tried to avoid war, but the German U-boats kept a relentless attack on American interests at sea. In a complicated scenario the British were fearful that the anticolonialist Americans would enter on the side of the Central Powers, and there were rumors that Germany would enlist Mexico to join Japan in fighting the United States in return for Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
President Wilson, who won the presidency on the promise of keeping America out of the war, quietly began arming some American merchant ships, and Germany sunk several, an act that former president Roosevelt denounced as piracy. Roosevelt insisted on war, and on April 6, 1917, Congress declared war.
Once at the podium, Roosevelt ripped into those who did not support the draft for moral reasons. “The conscientious objector,” he said, “curtains his cowardice behind the statement that he objects to placing himself in a position where he might take part in killing someone. I’d guard his conscience. I’d send him to the front, but I wouldn’t give him a gun. I’d put him to digging kitchen sinks and trenches so that good men could rest until the time came for them to kill someone. Then I’d watch his conscience to see what it would do.”
Read the Full Article at http://www.libertymagazine.org/index.php?id=1636
I wanted to make a brie f comment in regards to the Mr. Peabody’s article regarding “Watch His Conscience”. I found several flaws in your a assumptions regarding warfare, history and justifications for war. I do agree with what you said if one is to believe in the history that we were fed in the last century regarding war. Since I have run the full gambit in my 30 years of research and discovered the multiple lies, and misinformation, excuse me if I make a few brief points. In order to fight a war,one requires two things money and sheep. Money is required to fund war, to purchase munitions and the infastructure to supply munitions. One also requires people nieve enough to buy into the political scam in order to ask someone else to go die for your agenda, a sheep if you will. Most people do not understand history, nor do they understand the manipulation they are controlled and directed with. To make it short, the same people that sold the sheep the weapons in World War 1, are the samepeople selling them today, and that is a fact. In fact, the same lies that justified war in 1914, are the same lies we are fed today, by the same evil people who have agenda’s that feed the same director of operations, Lucifer. I have swallowed my pride, and accepted the truth, I was duped by historians, and mainstream media into believeing a lie, or the spoiles of war, which undeniably have gone to the victor. This however, does not make them true. I would like to know when one firmly believes in our Lord and Savior, the foundation of truth, how one can deny seeking the truth. War as we know it has nothing to do with freedom, justice, or saving anyone from anything. War is manufactured by evil to further their agenda, and we are lied to, manipulated, and sold a bill of goods, whatever it may be, in order to further that agenda. The king of lies is the director, now if anyone wants to believe his agenda, and be a good sheep never questioning, and just bababa, because your delusion says so, go right ahead. I assure you when it comes to war, and history unless you seek the truth all you will find is lies. What can anyone expect considering your being sold a bill of goods by the king of lies. So we arrive at this infamous claim, which I alter to make it more accurate, if one does not learn from history,one is doomed to repeat it. We keep repeating it, and no one seems to care, or even notice it. We get what we allow others to give us, we no longer stand for truth in Christ, or truth in our lives, no wonder were still at war feeding Lucifers lust for blood and the destruction of God’s creation.