Guest guest Posted September 4, 2004 Report Share Posted September 4, 2004 (Maybe the children of the politicians ahould be the first to go. F.) http://www.allianceforsecurity.org/survey/pressrelease AFS Survey Finds Escalating Concern About the Draft First Comprehensive National Survey on the Draft Raises Question: What if They Gave a Draft and Nobody Came? * Majority of Draft Eligible Adults Say They Will Seek Deferment or Refuse to Serve * Unprecedented Number of Parents Don’t Support Sending Their Child to Serve * Uneasiness over War in Iraq and Overextended Military Lead to Escalating Concern about the Draft * Majority believe U.S. is One World Event Away from Draft Washington, D.C. – In a sharp reversal from historical support for military service, the first comprehensive national survey on the draft reveals that our country could face a crisis in military capacity with an unprecedented number of draft eligible adults stating they will actively seek deferment or refuse to serve if a draft is reinstated. Moreover, a growing number of parents say that they would not want their child to serve if called to duty today. Uneasiness over the war in Iraq and growing concern about an overextended military has led to escalating concern about the draft. Furthermore, a majority of Americans now believe that the United States is one major world event away from reinstating the draft. Meanwhile, there remains strong support for the Bush administration’s foreign policy, with 60% believing that the U.S. is more secure as a result of the policy of pre-emption. According to the survey: * 52% of draft age Americans would actively seek deferment or refuse to serve (32% said they would not serve; 20% would seek deferment). Fewer than half, only 43% of draft age Americans, say they would serve. * 40% of parents would not want their child to serve or would want their child to seek deferment if called today (32% said not serve; 8% would encourage child to seek deferment) In making an historical comparison to past surveys, parents are much less likely to want their child to serve than 34 years ago. In 1970, during the height of the Vietnam War, more than 75% of parents would have told their child to serve. * 71% of Americans are concerned about the capacity of the military to meet overseas’ commitments and defend the United States from attack. * 58% are concerned about the possibility that the United States could be headed for a military draft in the near future. 71% of draft age women are concerned. * 51% of Americans believe that the war in Iraq was not worth the cost. * 63% say that the draft is likely to be reinstated if there was another terrorist attack on U.S. soil; 65% say likely if terrorist cells spread and troops are needed to prevent future attacks; 76% say likely if two or more of these events occur at the same time. “This survey begs the question, What if they gave a draft and nobody came?” said Bobby Muller, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, a non-partisan international humanitarian organization, and founder of Alliance for Security which commissioned the poll. “Having served in Vietnam as a Marine Infantry officer, I remember when our nation asked, ‘What if they gave a war and nobody came?’ Today, our country is facing the same crisis. The time has come for a national dialogue about what our military will look like, what will service mean and why will our young men and women be called into service.” The survey also revealed that Americans were three times more likely to think that the draft would be reinstated if Bush wins (45%) than if Kerry wins (15%). Independents think a draft is more likely if Bush wins (48%) than if Kerry wins (10%). Moreover, the issue of the draft seems to be a motivating factor to get people out to vote. Forty percent of registered voters said they were much more likely to vote based on the information about the draft in the survey. On the question of what the draft would look like if it were reinstated, the Alliance for Security survey found that most Americans expect the draft to look like it did in the past with one major exception – this draft would include women: * 71% said women would be included * 65% said it would allow for student deferrals * 61% said it would operate on a lottery system In announcing the results of the survey, the Alliance for Security said it would be launching a college tour this fall, “Tour of Duty,” to engage young adults and communities in a discussion about the draft, our national security and the duty of all citizens to get engaged. “For more than twenty years, I have been committed to educating and engaging the public,” said Bobby Muller, who will speak at college campuses across the country. “I look forward to going into communities across America to discuss where our nation is heading and what young people and their families can do to make their voices heard. I am not a pacifist, but I am a realist. As this survey demonstrates, people are concerned about the future of our nation’s military. People need to remember the lessons learned from history and get engaged—before their number is called.” The Alliance for Security, a project of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), was established to educate and engage the American public in a dialogue about national security. VVAF is an international humanitarian organization that addresses the causes, conduct and consequences of war through programs of advocacy and service for victims of conflict around the world. VVAF is co-founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning campaign to ban landmines. Links: * Executive Summary of Survey Results * Full Survey Questionnaire Take Action: * Learn More about the Draft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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