Thursday, September 09, 2021

On Mandates and Conscientious Objectors


In my industry, like many others, COVID vaccines have been mandated as a condition of employment. There has been an exemption noted in many job postings for those with medical or religious objections. However such an exemption must be applied for in advance and would be evaluated by the employer's HR department. Rejection due to discrimination and subsequent denial of future employment would be almost impossible to prove. The (edited for confidentiality) notice follows.

"𝐴𝑙𝑙 ... β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘  [𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 ...] π‘šπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑦 π‘£π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘”π‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘ π‘‘ 𝐢𝑂𝑉𝐼𝐷-19 π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘™π‘œπ‘¦π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘, 𝑠𝑒𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘’ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘œπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘šπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘–π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘’π‘  𝑒π‘₯π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 π‘“π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘™, π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘™π‘œπ‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘™π‘Žπ‘€ (𝑖.𝑒., π‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘¦, π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘–π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘’π‘  𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓, 𝑒𝑑𝑐.)."

This parallels the Conscientious Objector Draft Exemption based upon a documented religious belief and affiliation that exists for the armed forces. That was often interpreted by the draft boards in a narrow manner that lead to applications being rejected. The rejection of the request from Alvin York, holder of the Medal of Honor and the most decorated American soldier of WW-I as given in the script of the film "Sergeant York."

"π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’, 𝑀𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑀𝑒 π‘π‘Žπ‘›'𝑑 π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘β„Ž π‘Ž 𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑙-π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘œπ‘”π‘›π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘–π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘’π‘  𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑑, π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘”π‘Žπ‘›π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑒π‘₯𝑖𝑠𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ 18, 1917. π‘Šπ‘’ 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 π‘“π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑑 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘›π‘œ π‘ π‘π‘’π‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘‘ 𝑒π‘₯𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑑 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝐡𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒, π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝑏𝑒 π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 𝑖𝑑𝑠 π‘šπ‘’π‘šπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦ π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘œπ‘ π‘’. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘“π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘¦, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’'𝑠 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘β„Ž, 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘ π‘™π‘¦ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘π‘–π‘‘π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑖𝑑𝑠 π‘šπ‘’π‘šπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘€π‘Žπ‘Ÿ. π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘™π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ 𝑒π‘₯π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑑."

We may consider that the draft boards of 104 years ago, like the governing political culture and the leadership of the armed forces, was considerably less hostile to religious or political dissent than that of either the government or of corporate HR departments is today. Biden's proposed mandates for all government employment, including contractors, may strip away even the tissue thin provision for an exemption based on Conscientious Objection.

Government and business today under the influence of a totalitarian ideology claim a power greater than that of an absolute monarch. Elizabeth I of England said. "I have no desire to make windows into men's souls." We have General Milley who would never say as Major Buxton did, "York, as your superior officer, I don't feel called upon to look into your conscience."

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