Military conscription, conscientious objection and democratic citizenship in the Americas

Abstract

This paper is about military conscription, conscientious objection, and democratic citizenship in the Americas, especially in the United States (U.S.) and Mexico, today and historically. In the United States there is at present no formal military draft, but when they turn eighteen all men, including those who reside illegally in the United States, must nevertheless file their names and contact information with the Selective Service System (SSS) office of the federal government. As there is no formal conscription in the United States today, only those who enlist and then have a change of heart can apply for conscientious objector (CO) status. In Mexico, all men who are born in the country or become naturalized citizens are obligated to report for possible military service, and one in three young men are chosen by lottery and must actually serve a year in the Mexican Army. Mexican law does not recognize the right to conscientious objection and for this reason there is no recorded history of young men in Mexico refusing to serve in the military for religious or moral reasons.