Luigi59
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Naval Officer Seeks Discharge As Conscientious Objector
Declined By Navy, He Files Lawsuit
By MARK SPENCER
Hartford Courant
November 3, 2010
HARTFORD —Michael Izbicki grew up near Camp Pendleton Marine Base in California in a patriotic family with a tradition of military service.
In high school he was a good student and attended an Evangelical church, where he was born again. He believed a good Christian could fight in a good war.
Turning down scholarships at other universities, he accepted an offer from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. He graduated in 2008 with the rank of ensign, beginning what he hoped would be an honorable career of service.
Now he wants out.
Izbicki, 24 and based at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Hartford on Wednesday asking for an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector, a request the Navy has turned down twice in the past year.
According to the lawsuit, the Navy's investigations of the legitimacy of Izbicki's beliefs were deeply flawed and, in one case, "showed extreme religious bias" against his Christian beliefs, especially when it came to his increasing interest in Quakerism.
"My Christian convictions preclude the use of violence; I cannot take someone else's life, nor can I aid others in doing so," Izbicki wrote in his application. "Therefore, I cannot participate in war in any form."
Messages left at the Naval Submarine School seeking comment were not returned.
(Read the rest of the article HERE)
Declined By Navy, He Files Lawsuit
By MARK SPENCER
Hartford Courant
November 3, 2010
HARTFORD —Michael Izbicki grew up near Camp Pendleton Marine Base in California in a patriotic family with a tradition of military service.
In high school he was a good student and attended an Evangelical church, where he was born again. He believed a good Christian could fight in a good war.
Turning down scholarships at other universities, he accepted an offer from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. He graduated in 2008 with the rank of ensign, beginning what he hoped would be an honorable career of service.
Now he wants out.
Izbicki, 24 and based at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Hartford on Wednesday asking for an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector, a request the Navy has turned down twice in the past year.
According to the lawsuit, the Navy's investigations of the legitimacy of Izbicki's beliefs were deeply flawed and, in one case, "showed extreme religious bias" against his Christian beliefs, especially when it came to his increasing interest in Quakerism.
"My Christian convictions preclude the use of violence; I cannot take someone else's life, nor can I aid others in doing so," Izbicki wrote in his application. "Therefore, I cannot participate in war in any form."
Messages left at the Naval Submarine School seeking comment were not returned.
(Read the rest of the article HERE)