A TRADITIONAL ARGUMENT
A TRADITIONAL ARGUMENT

Author(s): Dejan Pataki
Subject(s): Customs / Folklore, Military policy
Published by: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji
Keywords: Dejan Pataki; civic service; Serbia; tradition; army;
Summary/Abstract: It’s been almost a year since I have been preoccupied with the matters of civic service, that is to say the conscientious objection, in Serbia. One of the activities we had undertaken at the very beginning has been to conduct a poll of citizens on the subject. The commentary which was often expressed by all those polled who disagreed with an alternative to the compulsory military service was: “My grandfather has served, my father too, and so will I. It’s a family tradition.” The word which attracted my attention in the argument against civic service was tradition. It made me think how tradition as an argument was sufficient all by itself. Approaching the subject, I have diligently looked up the meaning of the word traditional in Vujaklija’s “Lexicon”. Apart from a number of synonyms which explain the term, there was a word usual. A send-off of recruits to the army looks approximately as follows.

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