Subject: Mandatory draft 6/15/05
Express your preference.
Mandatory draft for boys and girls (ages 18-26) starting June 15,
2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally
effects 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 (companion
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 dministration 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.
Actions: Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you
know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents. . .
And let your children know - - it's their future, and they can be a
powerful voice for change! This legislation is called HR 163 and
can be found in detail at this website: http://thomas.loc.gov/ Just
enter in "HR 163" and click search and will bring up the bill for
you to read. It is less than two pages long.
If this bill passes, it will include all men and ALL WOMEN from
ages 18 - 26 in a draft for military action. In addition, college
will no longer be an option for avoiding the draft and they will be
signing an agreement with the Canada which will no longer permit
anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay within it's borders.
This bill also includes the extension of military service for all
those that are currently active. If you go to the select service
web site and read their 2004 FYI Goals you will see that the
reasoning for this is to increase the size of the military in case
of terrorism. This is a critical piece of legislation, this will
effect our undergraduates, our children and our grandchildren.
Please take the time to write your congressman and let them know
how you feel about this legislation.
LINK www.senate.gov
Please also write to your representatives and ask them why they
aren't telling their constituents about these bills and write to
newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not
covering this important story.
The draft $28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service
system budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as
early as June 15, 2005. Selective service must report to Bush on
March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades,
is ready for activation.
Please see www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the Selective
Service System annual performance plan, fiscal year 2004.
The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350
draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.
Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts
and influential members of congress are suggesting that if
Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and
Afghanistan (and permanent state of war on terrorism) proves
accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.
LINK
entitled the Universal National service Act of 2003, "to provide
for the common defense by requiring that all young persons (age
18-26) in the United States, including women, perform a period of
military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of
the national defense and homeland security, and for other
purposes." These active bills currently sit in the committee on
armed services. Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those
from the Vietnam era.
College and Canada will not be options. In December, 200 1, Canada
and the U.S. signed a "smart border declaration," which could be
used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister
of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security
director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30 point plan which
implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of
people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making
the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also
eliminates higher education as a shelter.
Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end
of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the
academic year.
What to do:
Tell your friends, Contact your legislators and ask them to oppose
these bill. Just type "congress" into the aol search engine and
input your zip code. A list of your reps will pop up with a way to
email them directly. We can't just sit and pretend that by ignoring
it, it will go away. We must voice our concerns and create the
world we want to live in for our children and grandchildren.
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