How do I bring up the draft?

[rockymountaindem]

I'm a 17 year old male who will turn 18 this year. I'd like to bring up the issue of the draft with my friends and try to convince them that this is really a bad idea. However, I live in a higly military town and lots of my friends have parents in the military etc. I don't think they'll appreciate the "anti-military" rhetoric, plus I don't want them to think I'm a coward.

I plan on joining the military after I get my Ph. D when I'm 23. I would have had no problem being drafted right out of high school (except that wouldn't have happened anyway since I was 16 at the time). If they bring back the draft now I don't want to have my education disrupted. I don't want to get in only 2 years of university and then have to take 4 years off so I can forget everything I've learned. I also think that the military would miss out on a lot from me if they didn't let me finish my degree before I go in (I'm not trying to brag). I'm no coward.

I just think the draft would make some people my age turn against Bush*, so I'd like to use it. But how? Given the context what can I say, besides taunting my conservative young friends to quit college and join up to support their silly Iraq war?

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. why do you want to join the military?

and why are you concerned about people thinking you are a coward?

[Kong]

2. OK

The current administration prefers the use of military power to diplomacy in it dealings. Our volunteer military is not large enough to support this stance. That is evident in the massive use of guard and reserve forces in Iraq. Enlistments and reinlistments are declining, particularly in the guard and reserve forces. As a consequency the size of the military is not great enough to enforce military invlovement in policy. The only way to increase the size of the pool of personell available to the military is to reinstate the draft.

There are two ways to stop the draft from being reinstated. The first is to convince the existing administration to change its policy. The second is to change administrations.

Kong

[BOSSHOG]

3. Being anti-draft

is not being anti-military or non-patriotic. Quite the contrary. However, if bush wants to spread his preemption policy to other countries he will need more soldiers and that will require many being called to support his dumbass policies against their will. If your friends are healthy and of age they can forget about their political persuasion. bush has proven he does not care who gets killed to promote him and his policies. On the other hand, if your conservative friends really support bush and his policies they should join the military without a draft. Its their conundrum. Good luck from a 24 year Navy Veteran who never regretted a day of service.

[Kali]

4. perfect

I have a question I was thinking about asking but I'm a newbie and don't think I can start posts yet. Then this popped up this morning - pretty close to my question. Draft and registration. When my son was approaching 18 the discussion was academic but now I have real fear. He turned 18 in October. Just got a reminder in the mail to register. I AM a coward. I do not want my child to die for that bunch of criminals in the white house. I am not exactly pro military anyway, but for these sick dogs forget it. My question: Does anybody have any advice, links, etc about what to do? I'm inclined to tell him to blow it off but would like some idea how many others have done that. I doubt if they are going to do anything but there is mention of interference with loans etc. Anybody avoiding the selective service out there? Consequences? Of course he may have to join up, just like they are planning, for the sake of finding a job in this country. Its so clear to me that what outsourcing and immigration amnesty are all about. Generating the planetary police force. Join up boys, travel to exotic distant places, meet fascinating and different people. And kill them. Or be killed by them.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Welcome Kali

I suggest your son register with selective service. That does not mean he has to join the military and their is no guarantee there will be a draft but it is federal law. I would not jeopardize his future by not registering. You might want to check out VAIW.COM. It would be a good start to researching this subject. Good Luck.

[Kali]

8. thanks

for the welcome and the info. I'm so used to seeing things as discriminatory against women but this one's kind of the opposite isn't it?

[Sandpiper]

14. I guess that depends on your point of view

I look at it this way:

Women are being discriminated against in their "right" to be conscripted into involuntary military service.

Men should no longer have the exclusive right to be conscripted.

(BTW, I'm a draft age male)

[Kali]

9. premature thanks?

I couldn't make that site work, tried a couple different versions any other info?

[cmayer]

7. Work to get Kerry elected.

That is the first thing. Research CO requirements, #2. During Viet Nam those volunteering usually got their choice of specialties, and there are specialties that would greatly reduce chances of going into the war zone. Several of my buddies spent their enlistment in Germany.

I know there are more and better suggestions than mine out there,

[cmayer]

5. Don't be categorical.

There is nothing wrong about discussing the draft and it doesn't mean that you are anti-military or a coward. By your own statement, you plan on serving voluntarily.

I would say something like, "All signs are pointing to a reinstatement of the draft if * is re-elected." That should bring about a response. Just point out the facts.

The military is stretched too thin and the Bush administration has a confrontational policy. More troops are needed.

The Pentagon put out a call to reconstitute all of the local draft boards. About 10,000 vacancies have occurred on the draft boards since the the volunteer army was created. The Pentagon is filling those positions.

This past December(?)language was unobtrusively dropped into a bill that shortened the required readiness to restart the draft from 180 to 75 days.

I did this from memory, so be sure to check your facts. I got the information from reading these boards. They include links to the Pentagon Web site and the bill in question. Find the links, verify the information, and be prepared to offer the links to anyone who disputes you.

Finish with, "If they are not going to reinstitute the draft, why are they doing this?" You don't have to say the are going to reinstitute the draft--let them draw their own conclusions.

[TheDebbieDee]

10. Here's an idea..........

One of the other regular posters on this board - I can't remember his or her name - mentioned that they protested Bush's appearance at a fundraiser in Boston yesterday. The Bush protesters rubbed elbows with some very young Bush supporters so they took the opportunity to distribute copies of military enlistment forms to them, along with the warning that if * is re-elected they'll be filling out those forms real soon. Sounds like it was quite effective.

[oasis]

11. Military enlistment forms/copy of PNAC's Rebuilding America's Defenses.

www.newamericancentury.org

[strategery blunder]

12. I suggest you research the effects on the draft

on military readiness in Vietnam.

While it did increase the raw number of troops available, they were the greenest of the green, didn't want to be there, had very low morale, and occasionally revolted by killing their commanding officers when sleeping "fragging."

This way you could argue against the draft from the MILITARY'S point of view; your arguments will be more likely to be accepted and you probably will not be seen as a coward.

Bonus Fun Round: What are you studying? Your findings would make excellent material for a history paper, I'm sure.

[MadProphetMargin]

13. Listen up, bro: You, and your friends, get precisely one (1) life. Stop

worrying about what others think, and speak your mind. This is not an easy habit to get into, as you are just completing 12 years of being told how to act, when to speak, etc.

Just speak your piece. Your friends, if they are friends, will get over it. In addition, bring up the fact that military service is fine, but it should not be compulsory. Hell, it wasn't compulsory during the revolution.

Lastly, do NOT allow yourself to be drafted.

Not for this miserable excuse for a war, this colonialism in the name of the almighty dollar. To hell with Bush and his whole rotten crew. A kid with the ambition to pursue a PhD is worth more than Bush and his entire cabinet combined.