A Slave in Uniform

[warisimmoral]

My name is Daniel Lakemacher, and a group of people who identify themselves as the "United States Navy" regularly force me to labor for them under the threat of imprisonment. I have a strong desire to end this enslavement, and I have therefore followed the "rules and regulations" of the aforementioned individuals in order to request release from their employment due to my conscientious objection to war.

The website http://www.warisimmoral.com contains the many essays I wrote as part of my application to be discharged. It also serves as a journal of my thoughts and a chronicle of this process. Recently an individual called the "Investigating Officer" wrote a report on the validity and sincerity of my request. I have included below my rebuttal to this report. Thus ends any part that I will have in my request to be discharged from the Navy as a conscientious objector.

I learned about "Adventures in Legal Land" by hearing Wes Bertrand read and reference articles from it on the Complete Liberty Podcast (http://completeliberty.libsyn.com/). I'm making this post because of my curiosity about what other fans of this site will think of my efforts to live a more free life.

My Rebuttal

To Whoever Decides If I Will Be Discharged:

I agree with the recommendation of the “Investigating Officer” that I am a conscientious objector to war and should be discharged. My rebuttal, therefore, is to the legitimacy of the reasoning by which you justify forcing me to labor on your behalf.

I will no longer pretend that I am a member of an “all volunteer” military force. In the previous phrase, the word “volunteer” is used in the present tense; however, I no longer voluntarily work for you, nor do thousands of others whom you call Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines. We follow orders because we ultimately know that if we do not, we will be imprisoned. This is servitude, not volunteerism.

Undoubtedly, like me, all these persons did at one time voluntarily sign a piece of paper promising to work for what is known as the “Department of Defense,” but natural law and logic reveal that a contract of enslavement is a contradiction. A slave is a person who submits to the edicts and threats of another, not a person who freely chooses. We volunteered (past tense), and this fact does nothing to address whether or not our continued labors are voluntary. As for me, I am telling you unequivocally that although I continue to work for you, this is under duress; rather than being voluntary, my work is done to avoid the further restriction of my liberty that would come from imprisonment.

If you consider yourself justified in exercising authority over me, then you inherently deny my self-ownership. Such a blatant usurpation of individual autonomy continues largely unrecognized because of widespread conformity and propaganda that employs false notions of freedom. The result is that people regularly favor the illusion of liberty over the recognition that they are obeying others’ commands to avoid being thrown in cages, or worse.

Who, except those calling themselves “the military,” imprisons people for quitting their jobs? Had I signed a piece of paper promising to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs for five years, I would not go to jail if I quit after three years (although I would likely forfeit the outstanding monetary benefits promised upon fulfillment of the contract). However, you act as if there would somehow be justification for imprisoning me simply because you wear a different uniform than a baseball jersey.

Despite the fact that I only work for you under the threat of imprisonment, I am not without volition. I have therefore chosen to jump through the bureaucratic hoops that you have established by filing this request. However, I do not want this fact to be misinterpreted as my condoning the legitimacy of this process. Slavery has been, and continues to be, an atrocity perpetuated by those who call themselves “the government of the United States of America.” I hope that this will one day change, and I’m working toward that end.

In the meantime, I do not expect that you will allow me to freely leave merely because I have exposed the truth of my involuntary servitude. Deep down, you already know this truth all too well. Most simply, a slave is someone who is forced to labor, incurring harmful consequences for attempting to sever the corrupt relationship with the master. Whether or not you choose to classify me as a conscientious objector, the truth of my slavery (and yours) is plainly evident to people who yearn to be free to make their own choices. Every day that I continue to work for you not by choice but because of your threat of imprisonment, you only add further evidence to the truth that I am indisputably a slave.

(signed)

Daniel J. Lakemacher

[Marc Stevens]

Good work Daniel, welcome "aboard".

[CaroCana]

I think your rebuttal is great.... All contractual dealings with government are fraudulent and blatant abuse of our rights,,,, I will follow your progress.... I wish you all the luck you need to become free or at least freer than you are right now....

[eye2i2hear]

Very nicely done. May it indeed shake the military master-wanna-be's mental contradictions enough to have him/them choose to release you (even if it means hiding behind more B.S. in order to save face). I am humbled and stirred by your courage.

And