J. E. McNeil, the executive director of the Center on Conscience & War, in her Washington office. Brendan Smialowski for The New York TimesPleas By Conscientious Objectors Evolve -- New York Times
WASHINGTON — Answering the G.I. Rights Hotline for the last 11 years, J. E. McNeil has counseled thousands of soldiers who want to become conscientious objectors and get out of the service.
But when the House of Representatives voted May 27 to allow the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, paving the way for gay men and lesbians in the military to be open about their sexual orientation, Ms. McNeil got a hot-line call that raised a new issue: the caller said he considered homosexuality an abomination and wanted to be a conscientious objector because he could not serve in the military alongside gay soldiers.
Read more ....
My Comment: I am not surprised by the following response ....
In the “don’t ask, don’t tell” cases, Ms. McNeil concluded that there was no legal basis for a conscientious objector claim.
No legal basis .... I am very skeptical. This is simply too close to home for this activist to support the opposite point of view.