ACTION: fight Bill to reinstate draft Mandatory draft for boys and girls

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> g

> Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:24:04

> ACTION: fight Bill to reinstate draft

Mandatory draft for boys and girls

>

> ACTION: fight Bill to reinstate draft 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 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.

 

> 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 extention of military service for all those that are

currently active. If you go to the selective 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 undergradates, our

children and our grandchildren. Please take the time to write your congressman

and let them know how you feel about this legislation.

 

> http://www.house.gov/

> http://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.

>

www.hslda.org/legislation/national/2003/s89/default.asp

>

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 bills Just type " congres s " 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.

>