Posted on March 28, 2025

My Story: A Call for Conscientious Objection and the Protection of the Soul

When I was a young man, the Vietnam War was raging, and the draft was in full force. They were pulling young men into the conflict by the thousands. We lost over 50,000 Americans in Vietnam, and millions more suffered from wounds—physical, mental, and spiritual. But what if I told you that many of those men didn’t have to go, that they could have declared themselves conscientious objectors and legally refused to participate in a war that had nothing to do with defending our country? What if they knew then what I know now—that war is not always a necessity, but sometimes a mechanism for the powerful to enrich themselves at the cost of human lives?

The Vietnam Lie and My Awakening

I graduated high school in 1965, and like many others, I was caught in the system. I stayed out of college for a time, working for my parents' swimming pool business, and when I finally enrolled, I was already classified A1—eligible for immediate drafting. At the time, the government was pushing the same story: We have to stop the Communists in Vietnam, or they’ll take over the world! They told us the Vietnamese would invade America next if we didn’t fight them over there. That’s the kind of propaganda they used to convince an entire generation of young men to march into the jungle, believing they were fighting for democracy when, in reality, they were fighting for corporate and government interests.

But let’s be real. Vietnam had no navy, no air force capable of crossing the Pacific, no advanced weaponry that could challenge the United States. They weren’t going to invade America—they were just fighting for their own independence, just like we did in 1776.

And yet, thousands of young men went off to die, believing they were fighting for something noble. Some were drafted. Some volunteered, thinking they were protecting America. But the truth is, they were misled, manipulated, and sacrificed by the same type of men who dodge the draft themselves—men like Donald Trump, who got five deferments and then had the audacity to mock real soldiers who actually served.

I was lucky—I was sent to Korea instead of Vietnam. I served 13 months on the DMZ during the Pueblo Crisis, and I saw firsthand what war preparation looks like. But if I had been sent to Vietnam, knowing what I know now, I would have declared conscientious objector status and refused to take up arms.

Conscientious Objection: Your Right to Say No

For any active-duty military members reading this, let me make something very clear:

You do not have to fight and kill innocent people for corporate greed, billionaires, or a man who would be king. You have a legal right to declare yourself a conscientious objector, and you will not be punished for doing so.

The U.S. military recognizes conscientious objection as a valid status, and you can claim it if you sincerely object to war on moral, ethical, or religious grounds.

Here’s how it works:

1. You file an application stating your beliefs and why you refuse to bear arms.
2. You provide a personal statement explaining your moral or religious objections to war.
3. You undergo interviews with a chaplain and a military investigator to assess the sincerity of your beliefs.
4. Your case is reviewed, and if approved, you are reassigned to non-combat duties or discharged from the service.

This is not illegal. This is your right.

If every soldier about to be sent to an unjust war filed for conscientious objector status, guess what? There wouldn’t be a war. Who would Trump send? His kids? His billionaire buddies?

Why This Matters Now

Fast forward to today, and we have Trump, a convicted felon and draft dodger, now openly aligning himself with Russia, praising dictators, and pushing for America to become an authoritarian state. No one voted for that.

No one voted to leave NATO.

No one voted to abandon Ukraine.

No one voted for Trump to take over Greenland or Canada or the Panama Canal.

No one voted for Trump to throw out democracy and install himself as a permanent leader.

But that’s what he’s doing. And if history has taught us anything, dictators start wars to hold on to power.

Trump and Elon Musk—his billionaire fascist backer—are already planning their next move. And who’s going to fight in their war? Not them. Not their children. Not their rich friends.

It will be you—the working-class men and women of America. Unless you say no.

The Veterans Celebrity Voice Political Party Stands for Peace

This is why I founded the Veterans Celebrity Voice Political Party. We are not just another political movement. We are a movement for truth, love, and the empowerment of the people.

Here’s what we fight for:

✔ The Billionaire’s Law – Once you make a billion dollars (a thousand million dollars), 90% of everything you earn after that goes back to the poorest and weakest in society. Billionaires will still be rich, but their excess wealth will help people, not just pile up in offshore accounts.

✔ The Free Elections Law – No more billionaires buying politicians. All elections will be publicly funded, and all candidates will receive the same resources to campaign.

✔ The Liar’s Law – If a media outlet, politician, or corporation deliberately lies to the American people and it is proven to be false, they are fined $1,000 per second for every lie.

✔ The National Debt Reset – We declare a modified national bankruptcy and wipe out debt owed to the ultra-wealthy and foreign powers trying to manipulate us.

✔ Mandatory Paper Ballots – No more electronic voting machines that can be hacked by billionaires or foreign adversaries. Every vote is on paper, counted, and recounted.

✔ Legal Protection for Conscientious Objectors – We will defend the right of every soldier to refuse to fight in an unjust war. No more dying for billionaires. No more killing innocent people for corporate profits.

A Call to Action

If you are serving right now, ask yourself this:

• Are you willing to kill someone who has done nothing to you?
• Are you willing to fight and die for a corrupt billionaire’s empire?
• Are you willing to be used as a pawn in an unjust war?

Or will you stand for something greater? Will you choose love over hate, truth over lies, peace over war?

I am asking you to stand with us. Join the Veterans Celebrity Voice Political Party. Sign the petition. Speak out. Demand fair elections. Demand the truth. Demand peace.

And most importantly, if you are called to war, know your rights. You have the power to say NO.

Love is the answer. It always has been. It always will be.

John Paul Elliott III
Founder, Veterans Celebrity Voice Political Party
America Love Now