Sep 27, 2004 17:10
Compulsory draft for every child.
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:
h ttp://thomas.loc.gov/ (remove the space between h & t and paste into your browser)
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.
www.house.gov
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 "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.
Please look at your children and do what is best for them.