CO Quotes - Conscientious Objectors National Memorial Fund

Conscientious Objectors National Memorial Fund

" War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector
enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."
~ John F. Kennedy 35th president of US

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Spirit of the CO

CO Quotes

"War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." ~ John F. Kennedy 35th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 - 1963) (Letter to Navy friend. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. retrieved 01-07-2009)

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." ~ John F. Kennedy 35th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 - 1963) Speech to UN General Assembly, Sept. 25, 1961.

"But by saying that we can live in a world without war you’re saying this is an ideal that all men should aspire to. But if you’re going to be a realist and you’re going to live in this world, you have to understand not everyone has that view. So the most important thing about a CO is to live peaceably with people that you disagree with." ~ Aidan Delgado (in the film Soldiers of Conscience)

"I went back to the military and everything that I feared happened. I was called a coward. I was called a traitor. I was accused of desertion. I was tried. I was convicted. I was sentenced. I was put in jail. And let me tell you, I’ve never felt freer in my life. There’s no higher assertion of your freedom than to follow your conscience." ~ Camilo Mejia (in the film Soldiers of Conscience) discussing what happened after he refused to go back to Iraq.

"A lot of people that first came here were pacifists who were fleeing Europe in order not to serve in the wars of the kingdom. It's an old tradition in this country." ~ Film maker Catherine Ryan (Soldiers of Conscience) commenting on the history and origins of conscientious objection in the USA.

"But conscientious objection is allowed by US Army military regulations and is part of the US tradition, so it's not illegal or even immoral. It's just not that common." ~ Film maker Gary Weimberg (Soldiers of Conscience) commenting on the surprise of people hearing about COs in today's volunteer Army.

"When I meet a new person, I don’t see race or religion --I look deeper ... We must learn to satisfy our conflicts peacefully and to respect one another."

~ Muhammad Ali

"All I did was stand up for what I believed" ~ Muhammad Ali

"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn't have to draft me, I'd join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’’ll go to jail, so what? We've been in jail for 400 years." ~ As quoted in Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties (1999) by Mike Marqusee; also quoted in the International Socialist Review Issue 33 (January––February 2004)

"Over the years my religion has changed and my spirituality has evolved. Religion and spirituality are very different, but people often confuse the two. Some things cannot be taught, but they can be awakened in the heart. Spirituality is recognizing the divine light that is within us all. It doesn't belong to any particular religion; it belongs to everyone." ~ The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life's Journey (2004) (Autobiography writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) ISBN 0743255690 p. xvi .

"Sargeant, you got a lot a damn gall to ask me if I've rehabilitated myself, I mean, I mean, I mean that just, I'm sittin’ here on the bench, I mean I'm sittin’ here on the Group W bench 'cause you want to know if I'm moral enough to join the army, burn women, kids, houses, and villages after bein' a litterbug." ~ Arlo Guthrie in the song "Alice’s Restaurant Massacree"

"If you go personally to war, you cross the line yourself. You sacrifice ideals for survival and the fury of killing. That alters you forever. That is why no one rushes to be a soldier. Think before you want to change so unalterably. The stakes are not merely one's life, but one's very humanity." ~ Deng Ming-Dao, Thoughts on War, Circa 2400 BCE

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We send our profoundest regards and deepest sympathies to all veterans and their families on this day of memory and reflection about war and what it means to be a warrior.
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