PRINTER'S NO. 1646
No. 106 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY RHODES AND COHEN, JUNE 4, 1975
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 9, 1975
In the House of Representatives, June 4, 1975
1 WHEREAS, The war in Southeast Asia has come to an end, and
2 with it the American involvement in the war has also ceased; and
3 WHEREAS, This war has caused extreme division within this
4 country over the moral question of America's involvement; and
5 WHEREAS, That division over the question of the morality of
6 this war has lead many thousands of American men to resist that
7 war by deserting the armed forces of the United States, or by
8 voluntarily exiling themselves in other countries; or by facing
9 disciplinary action under law and accepting either dishonorable
10 discharges or imprisonment; and
11 WHEREAS, The conditional clemency program of the President of
12 the United States has been an indisputable failure; and
13 WHEREAS, The President of the United States has now declared
14 the end of American involvement in this war in Southeast Asia,
15 and has further asked that the American people bind up their
16 wounds, and unite as a people in accepting many thousands of
17 Southeast Asian refugees who are fleeing to this country; and
18 WHEREAS, A true and final binding of this nation's wounds
1 cannot be fully or justly achieved until all those Americans who
2 chose, for their own reasons, not to involve themselves in the
3 war in Southeast Asia are permitted to re-enter our society with
4 a clean record and a clear conscience; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
6 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the President of
7 the United States to declare a total and unconditional amnesty
8 for all those who chose to leave this country or who faced
9 disciplinary or legal action because of their protest against
10 this war; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
12 Pennsylvania memorialize the President of the United States and
13 the Congress of the United States to initiate all appropriate
14 legislation necessary to enable records of dishonorable or less
15 than honorable discharges or prison records connected with the
16 war in Southeast Asia to be expunged from the records; so that
17 we may truly bring the war and the recriminations to an end.
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