I thought I would be writing about the latest polls this morning, but instead I arrived at work and was immediately asked by my co-worker if I was under 26 years old. I said “yes, why?” and she forwarded me the following e-mail.
Mandatory Draft Legislation Please Read
Mandatory draft for men and women (ages 18-26) starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally effects [sic] everyone since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes.
There is pending legislation in the house and senate (twin bills: S89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as spring, 2005, just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately. Details and links follow. This plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft. Also, crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult.
This legislation is called HR 163 and can be found in detail here. Just enter in "HR 163" and click search and will bring up the bill for you to read.
I checked it out. The bill hasn’t been active since February of 2003, and I couldn’t find anything that confirmed (or rejected) the e-mail’s claim that a draft could begin in June of 2005. I would also like to note that one of the bill’s cosponsors is none other than our very own Rep. Jim McDermott.
If someone knows any other details about the bill, such as its likelihood of being passed, please let me know.
To bring this into a larger perspective, where do the candidates stand on this issue? I assume that the President supports it, but Kerry has been making an awful lot out of his support for the war too, and that more resources (i.e., people) will be required to win it .
This does raise some very difficult moral questions for me, as someone who is eligble under this bill. Where does this leave me if I’m drafted? I strongly believe that, as a US citizen, I have an obligation to support my county. I draw huge benefits from an American middle-class way of life, so supporting this country is absolutely non-negotiable.
At the same time, I have very strong moral objections to the actions that our leaders have taken, and I cannot envision myself fighting (what I consider) their war.
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