Hi Chip: The brainwashing eliment, is the placing of folks under constant stress with huge peer pressure, which for combat is a good thing, and is absoutly nessisary. For most Americans it does not cause harm, and in fact good stuff comes out of it. My brother, also raised a Quaker - had a draft number of 14 during the Veit Nam war. He joined, as if I remember, I wrote about above, because he felt it was unfair that many folks who in their hearts new war was wrong, did not have the advantage of Quaker upbringing - to know they could do something about it... he felt he could go into the reserves and not kill. His letters from boot camp showed some of the good the training does, he describes southern white kids learning to rely on Black fellows for the first time - especially back then, learning some equality. But he also fell for the kill the enimy peer presure and volunteered to become a helocoter pilot and would have if he did not have a Quaker home to come back to on leave, and he and I had it out...
As to our brain washing, some Peace churches do, some don't. We Quakers don't prostilize, even to our kids, and teach and learn in silence for the most part. Amish have their kids leave the plain tradition in their teens to experience the world. However, there are aspects of our traditions which make military training even without guns imposible. We Friends don't use as simple titles as Mr and Ms, let alone Sir. We can't salute, as an expression of our belief in the equality of humanity in the eguation of a cooperative univerce. Amish will not wear buttons let alone uniforms - as wont plain Menonites.
Steve, it is quite simple, I understand you don't accept a constitutional argument for exemption to the law you oppose as I do, but for us, it is quite simple, I don't agree with your interpritation of the Constitution, but even if I did, even if the Constitution clearly stated all Americans must serve in the US, we would oppose service or leave, that is the tradition of religious oppression and religious freedom for peace churches, we will not serve in the military. NOW, if there was a non military alternative service without military training and hierarchy, well, that is a different thing. As long as there was a degree of freedom of choice in service, also a Quaker value, I think I would be cautiously accepting if not appoving.
Yours, Larry who would think about Canada, where the food and music is better than here....