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Tue 1 Jun, 2004 09:45 am
This is my first new post. I finally found something that sounded important enough to bring to your attention.
According to Congress' web site, twin bills are being introduced in the house and senate to re-instate the draft, beginning as early as Spring 2005. This may be old news to some of you, but it's new to me.
The new and improved draft now includes women, and academic exclusion now only lasts to the end of the semester, and with seniors till the end of their graduation.
The article specifically mentions agreements made with Canada to keep draft dodgers from crossing the borders there.
I don't know about you guys, but as a young man (thankfully ineligible for the draft - I've never in my life been lucky that I was blind in one eye before :wink: ), this is extremely scary stuff for me and my friends. Perhaps some of you older gentlemen and ladies can give me advice on what I can expect from this.
Cycloptichorn
Frankly, I think you can expect the bills to die a quick death in conference. I doubt either of them will pass in either side of Congress.
(It might be helpful if you provide links to the proposed bills on the House and/or Senate WWW sites.
)
<smacks self on head>
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=5834001&content_dir=ua_congressorg
On review, I think I need to research this a little bit more to see if there will be any actual action on it. But who knows? It certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing happening these days.
Cycloptichorn
I have been hearing rumors that if Bush wins the election that the draft will be reinstated.
Personally, I like the idea of the all volunteer army. On the other hand, both young men and young women of all classes would benefit from two or three years of rubbing shoulders with people unlike themselves.
Perhaps the draftees could be given a choice between being trained for combat or for Peace Corps/VISTA-type service overseas or stateside?
Well, the bill is to provide for mandatory National Service for everyone and isn't a "draft" per se. People could choose either the military or a civil function.
But the Senate bill was introduced on Jan 7th, 2003 and was immediately sent to conference and hasn't been seen since. (it was introduce by Sen. Hollings with no co-sponsors.)
The House bill was introduced Feb 3rd and immediately sent to a House conference where it disappeared into oblivion.
Being that both bills have been sitting in conference for over a year and no action has been taken on them I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that they are both dead in the water.
Cyclops
How can I help perpetuate the myth that Bush will re-instate the draft after re-election? I think it would be grand if he chased you and your wussy pals all the way to the Canadian border.
Fortunately for you and the military you can relax. Rumsfeld is adamant about wanting an all volunteer military and as far as I know the services are meeting most if not all of the their recruiting goals and they certainly don't want anyone who doesn't want to be there-----
Quote: I think it would be grand if he chased you and your wussy pals all the way to the Canadian border.
Funny how anyone who doesn't want to be forcefully recruited to fight a foreign war is a 'wussy.' I'm pretty sure your ass didn't sign up to fight, does that make you a wussy? Keep clucking, Chickenhawk - somehow I doubt you would be overjoyed to be drafted.
Cycloptichorn
I wasn't drafted during Vietnam----I was already there and then I stayed on for a few more years
Good for you. Unsurprising that someone who was too blind to see what was going on then would be too blind to see what was going on now.
Simple minded people have always been depressingly easy to manipulate.
Cycloptichorn
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