OA1256 - Will there ever be a draft again? Who knows. But if there is, what does one have to do to claim "conscientious objector” status? During the Vietnam War, the Supreme Court grappled with how to apply that explicitly religious statutory exemption to people whose modern beliefs don’t seem to fit the religious mold that Congress defined in the 40s. Jenessa walks us through the court’s mental gymnastics to avoid ever admitting that anyone could be an atheist, and the concurrence that calls it out. Note: The analysis of the Free Exercise Clause in this episode is specific to the time period of these cases. It got more complicated in the 90s (see sources below). <ul> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/380/163/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">United States v. Seeger</a>, 380 U.S. 163 (1965). </li> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/398/333/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Welsh v. United States</a>, 398 U.S. 333 (1970). </li> <li> <a href= "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2010-title50a-node102-node104-section456&num=0&edition=2010" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Military Selective Service Act 50 U.S.C.App. § 456(j)</a> </li> <li> Roger M. Sanborn, <a href= "https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2572&context=lawreview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Anti-War Movement and the Seeger Decision</a>, 6 Santa Clara Lawyer 230 (1965). </li> <li> Kali Martin, (October 16, 2020), <a href= "https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/conscientious-objectors-civilian-public-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Alternative Service: Conscientious Objectors and Civilian Public Service in World War II</a>, The National WWII Museum. </li> <li> Albert Q. Maisel, (May 6, 1946), Bedlam: Most US Mental Hospitals are a Shame and a Disgrace, Life Magazine at 102-118. <ul> <li> <a href= "https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/lobotomist-bedlam-1946/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Reproduction</a> (without the old-timey ads or graphic photos) </li> <li> <a href= "https://books.google.com/books?id=BlUEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Life+May+6,+1946&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIoIfk8eHrAhUPCKwKHZ__Db8Q6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=Life%20May%206%2C%201946&f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Original LIFE publication</a> (CW: Graphic photos of abuse of patients in mental health hospitals) </li> </ul> </li> <li> <a href= "https://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/about-friends/faqs" target= "_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Quaker FAQ</a>. Friends United Meeting. </li> <li> Karlo Broussard, <a href= "https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-is-a-just-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">What is a ‘Just War’?</a>, Catholic Answers. </li> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/370/421/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Engel v. Vitale</a>, 370 U.S. 421 (1962) </li> <li> 1963: Even facially-neutral generally-applicable laws have to pass strict scrutiny if they burden the free exercise of religion <ul> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/374/398/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Sherbert v. Verner</a>, 374 U.S. 398 (1963) </li> </ul> </li> <li> 1990: Never mind it’s rational basis <ul> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/494/872/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Employment Division v. Smith</a>, 494 U.S. 872 (1990) </li> </ul> </li> <li> 1993: Just kidding it’s strict scrutiny again <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-21B" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Religious Freedom Restoration Act</a> (RFRA) 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb </li> </ul> </li> <li> 1997: Just kidding that only applies to the federal government <ul> <li> <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/521/507/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">City of Boerne v. Flores</a>, 521 U.S. 507 (1997) </li> </ul> </li> <li> 2000: Nope it’s strict scrutiny for state and local government again (well… if it relates to land use or prisons) <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-21C" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act</a> (RLUIPA) 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc </li> </ul> </li> <li> For a summary: Cassandra M. Vogel, <a href= "https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=blr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">An Unveiling: Exploring the Constitutionality of a Ban on Face Coverings in Public Schools</a>, 78 Brook L. Rev. (2013). </li> </ul> Check out the OA <a href= "https://linktr.ee/openingarguments" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">Linktree</a> for all the places to go and things to do!

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

When You Oppose War, But Not Religiously

Opening Arguments

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews