[Mb-civic] draft

[Sierra Pecheur]

Subject: Action needed-Legislation for Mandatory Draft for young people



  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 (twin 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 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 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. 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 US 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 2001, Canada and the US
  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 US 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.
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