The Hartzler Library is well-known for displaying work from local artists on its premises. While the current exhibit is not a local creation, “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War” nonetheless brings attention to issues we face today.

The exhibit consists of ten themes detailing the stories of a few conscientious objectors during World War I. Nine booths with information and artifacts from the time surround a replica of a cell from Alcatraz Island, the place where objectors were tortured during the war. It forms the centerpiece of a powerful display of our history, a time not so far removed from our own and yet a time where people were still persecuted for their beliefs.

Marci Frederick, director of the Hartzler Library, was responsible for bringing the exhibit to EMU. Frederick emphasized this aspect of the project, saying, “It’s always good to reflect on the things we are willing to die for, and more particularly, the things we might be willing to kill for.”

The early 20th century was certainly a divisive time in history. Frederick explained that before the persecution of conscientious objectors during the early 1900s, the United States had no alternative service for those who opposed the war. This eft objectors in a tough spot, often positioning them completely against the military. This placed them in stark contrast to what one poster in the exhibit called “100% true American,” and many conscientious objectors died because of their beliefs.

The violence committed against conscientious objectors during World War I still stands as a stark reminder of what our society is capable of. “People should come with open minds and think about the decisions we make all the time which feed into or oppose violence,” Frederick said.

Referencing the exhibit’s modern relevance, she said that it should spur thought about our response to structural violence in society. She specifically mentioned the role of propaganda in controlling that response, such as how it was used during World War I to dehumanize the enemy. German Anabaptist objectors, were demonized in their day and Frederick noted how anti-immigrant sentiment has spread in our own time.

While “Voices of Conscience” is structured around the stories of individual objectors one hundred years gone, the stories it tells and the questions it raises are still relevant in today’s society. It draws attention to our own abuses and how we might be compliant in those abuses, whatever form they take.

EMU will be hosting four other events related to “Voices of Conscience” over the next two months. On Nov. 17, Anne Yoder, an archivist from Swarthmore College, will deliver her lecture, “Expanding the Narrative: WWI Conscientious Objectors in Their Own Words.” This event and all of the others will count for convocation points.

More details can be found on EMU’s Facebook page or on the News page at emu.edu.