Reform Judaism Groups Urge Nixon to Grant Immediate, Unconditional Amnesty

The first Jewish statement calling on President Nixon to grant immediate amnesty to American youngsters who refused military service because of their opposition to the Vietnam war was issued here today at a two-day meeting of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. The Commission is a joint body of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Yesterday it issued a strong condemnation of President Nixon’s call to Congress to enact legislation for a moratorium on the busing of school children to achieve racial balance in public schools.

The amnesty resolution noted that the President has the right to grant such amnesty under the discretionary powers granted to him in Art. 2, Sect. 2 of the Constitution. But the Commission said it was totally opposed to “any proposal, legislative or executive, that would make such granting of amnesty conditional on years of alternative service.”

According to Rabbi Alexander Schindler, vice-president of the UAHC, “there is no excuse for further delay in granting amnesty. Why should we penalize them for their beliefs when conventional wisdom born of hindsight now concedes that they were right about the war and our legal leadership was wrong.” The Commission also called for an end “without delay” to the “unjust, illegal and immoral war” in Vietnam.

It attacked Nixon’s busing proposal on grounds that such legislation “in the hands of an adventurous Congress could result in a total reversal of the Bill of Rights.” The Commission condemned members of Congress and political leaders of both parties for “inciting fear in the American public by manipulating the issue of busing for partisan political advantage.”