CBS News Covers New Conscientious Objectors

60 Minutes is doing a story tonight on the 5500 soliders who have disobeyed orders and deserted their military duties since the start of the iraq War, focusing on those who have gone to Canada:

One soldier, Pfc. Dan Felushko, 24, tells Pelley, "I didn't want...'Died deluded in iraq' over my gravestone."

But it's not just self-protection. It's also about duty:

[Jeremy Hinzman] later adds that his contract with the military was "to defend the Constitution of the United States, not take part in offensive, preemptive wars."

Good point. These soldiers have presumably seen first hand the erosion of American values on the battlefields of the "war on terror." They've seen abuse of military prisoners and the abandonment of the Geneva Convention. It's quite easy to see how someone who passionate loves America could really hate this war. American freedoms come not just from wartime adventures: they also come from those brave men and women of conscience who have stood up for what we believe in as a country. We last talked about this back in April, Conscientious Objection, After You're In. See also our Resources on Concientious Objection

The CBS 60 Minutes episode will air tonight, Wednesday Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.