Should women be allowed to serve on draft boards?

[bluestateguy]

This is not an easy question to raise, but be raised it must. Current US law says that men, and only men, shall be subject to the military draft. For the record, I think that law should be changed, and that if there must be a draft women should be just as vulnerable to the draft as men, although I oppose any reinstution of the draft.

Still, I have a problem with women serving on draft boards if they are not subject to themselves being drafted. In the 1960's, there was considerable outrage that many draft boards in the South had no black people, even though they served communities that were predominantly black. The issue was that such draft boards could not be fairly described as being a draft board of one's peers. Hence, I would argue that as long as men are the only Americans subject to the draft, the draft boards should be restricted to men only.

[Woodstock]

1. Should men decide if women can exercise reproductive choice?

Let's trade. We women will stay off draft boards that affect your lives, and you men will refrain making decisions for us about our lives by taking away our rights to exercise reproductive choice.

On edit, this is just what came to mind, I'm not implying you are anti-choice. But it's a fair point to raise in response to yours.

[Bunny]

2. Good one!

n/t

[bluestateguy]

3. That's fine

A fair question to raise, though nothing in my post could be interpreted as opposing abortion rights.

I'm pro-choice.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Great idea!!

If only....!

[Bunny]

4. Well, I'm a woman, and I've applied to be on my local draft board.

You pose an interesting question. I honestly don't know the correct answer.

I remember thinking when I applied that I could be sending someone else's sons off to war, and as I have only daughters, I wondered how I'd feel about that. Easy to do when there's no chance that I'd have to go, and very little chance that either of my daughters would go. I've got three draft-age nephews, tho'.

But everyone with draft-age sons should be very concerned about an upcoming draft. If Dimson manages to actually get himself elected this time, I feel that it will be reinstated.

[put out]

8. I think if the draft is reinstated, it ought to include women.

And women should be sitting on draft boards. And full participants in the debate. By golly, if my son goes, so does your daughter. And if my son comes home in a body bag, oops, sorry, TRANSFER TUBE, he will be in the company of a lot of dead women killed in the war.

[Woodstock]

27. Dont' worry, it will be on both counts

Bush needs lots of soldiers for his wars.

[thebaghwan]

13. How does one applt to be on a draft board?

Could you describe how this is done please?

[alittlelark]

23. Write to your local board

My bro- in law has, as well as my father. They are doing it for all the wrong reasons - at least those of the * admin. My bro in law is getting all like-minded friends in ABQ to do the same

My nephew is 17

The pendulum swings

[alcuno]

5. You don't solve the problem of discrimination with further discrimination.

These are the sons of women so, of course, they should be allowed to sit on the draft board.

[depakid]

6. My guess is that women would on average be more empathetic

and more deferential to circumstances and family considerations than men- particularly men who may be predisposed to serving on a draft board. So it seems to me that, if anything, the anomaly of having women on a board making decisions about a draft would actually produce more equitable results than a men only board.

[HereSince1628]

7. I really can't see why not.

Its not a question of being drafted, its a question about participation in government.

If we press to absuurdity that path pf argument, only men that have been drafted should serve on draft boards, because only they can appreciate the consequences. For that matter only men who were drafted, placed in combat arms units and wounded.

No thanks. I faced the draft with a none to high number. I'd much rather have a decision made by a cross-section of the community.

[eyeswideopened]

9. Only if they are mothers of draft age sons

[vpigrad]

10. I thought slavery was illegal

Why do we still have these terrible things?

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Because the law (even the constitution)...

Doesn't stop the Bush administration.

[Skittles]

11. as long as the president is male

and the overwhelming majority of congress is male, I think men can fight the wars they start. The trouble with your scenario is you act like women don't serve or are not harmed by war. THEY ARE. They do lot of serving and a lot of sacrificing and a lot of women are injured and killed in wars. YES WOMEN SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

Susan
U.S. Air Force veteran

[smirkymonkey]

16. Excellent point!

I'm sorry, but war is a man's game and until women have adequate representation in the government and have some say in the decision to go to war, they should not be required to fight them. However, I don't see why that should preclude them from serving on draft boards. We are involved whether we like it or not.

I respect women who choose to serve their country in that way, but most women, given the opportunity, would avoid sending their country to war except under the most extreme circumstances.

[rhino47]

17. thanks Susan for your service

:yourock:

[Mari333]

12. My sons are no less valuable then other peoples daughters

I find it objectionable that sons are considered throw away humans, and little princesses like the * twins are considered off limits..
Our sons are just as important and valuable to us as our daughters..
if there is a draft, both genders or none, imo.

[Muddleoftheroad]

14. Women should serve

Both on draft boards and in the military.

[SharonAnn]

18. Should older men serve on draft boards?

Since only younger men can be drafted?

I think women should definitely serve on draft boards.

[pmbryant]

20. Excellent analogy

Also, while I have no clue what draft boards are or what they do, I do know that just because discrimination is tolerated in one aspect of society does not mean it should be tolerated in another.

--Peter

[funkyflathead]

24. What if those older men have seen combat?

Right now many "old men" have served in Vietnam, Korea and WWII.

Some were drafted.

[SharonAnn]

26. So, then should only veterans be on?

Where does one draw the lines?

[Raenelle]

19. Well, would lack of a penis make it impossible to perform your duties?

[rocktivity]

21. Yes--women have sons, too

And Charles Rangel is right--let's draft EVERYBODY this time, regardless of income, marital status, or gender! Let's empty the sports teams, the musical acts, the MTV hosts, the colleges. No deferements, no excuses. We have three million people out of work--those who are over age 34 can become teachers or foster parents. Illegal immigrants are awarded instant citizenship if they make it back alive. And we'll be assured that our government will think REAL hard about whether our next war is really worth fighting! ;)

rocknation

[funkyflathead]

25. I like that idea

Everybody up to the age of 59. NO EXCEPTIONS.

All drafted, all fight COMBAT.

Only people over 60 can serve in REMF and support positions.