Possible return of the draft??
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| Thu, 09-30-2004 - 6:00pm |
Bush is being very quiet about this right now, but it's QUITE real ... the administration is gearing up for a return of the draft.
Mandatory draft for boys and girls (ages 18-26) starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally affects 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.
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/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR00163:@@@L&summ2=m& 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 av! oiding 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 its borders. This bill also includes the extension 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 undergraduates, our children and our grandchildren. 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. The draf! t $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.
Could this possibly be true?? I don't follow politics very closely so I have no clue if this could be real or fake. Has anyone heard of this at all?

Hi tianne_80!
No, that e-mail couldn't possibly be true. It's a nasty rumor that has been debunked many times, but I'm afraid in this election cycle, some people will try anything to scare people into voting one way or another.
The Annenburg's Fact Check has the goods:
http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=200
Renee ~~~
Renee ~~~
Hi tianne80!
Welcome to the board!
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Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board
"We're dodging the draft issue"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6099727/site/newsweek
I thought it was very well written & enjoyed reading it.