HispanicVista Columnists

I got a notice that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting is scheduled for the first week in February 2007. It seems like only yesterday that I was newly elected to the DNC and went to the beauty pageant meeting. It is the one where all the hopefuls come and try on their suits in front of the super delegates (that’s me). You see those of us who are on the DNC get to go to the convention no matter who is the Democratic United States Presidential nominee. It is the reason I am on the DNC. I like a good party. This one coming up will be my third. So now it is time for the games to begin.
Here is the question of the day - how will the candidates address the WAR?
Do not get me wrong, I do not think it is the Democrats’ job to come up with a plan. The President is the commander in chief let us see what he is proposing. We, as Democrats, need to shut up and listen and take information. But there is one thing to consider - what is the obligation of all of us in this time of war?
Let us start with what Charlie Rangel has discussed. It is called the draft. Charlie was on TV today and said “you can’t be for the war and against the draft”. (I hope I got it right. If I did not it is pretty darn close.) The point is that it is time for all of America to step up to the plate and see if we are ready to sacrifice for good of the “homeland”.
I hate that word, homeland; it reminds me of the “FATHERLAND”. We live in the USA. What is wrong with saying that we are here to protect the US of A.? I mean then it is about the US Homeland it sounds like we have to be loyal to some fascist who wears black boots and puts people in jail without trials and secret evidence. Kind of like what we have now right.
So back to the war and the draft, I remember when I was a kid back in 1966 and went to register with a friend of mine for the draft. He came out and said, “That was bizarre.” I asked, “What?” He said, “You know my eyes are black, right?” I said, “Right” looking at his pale skin and blond hair. He said, “The women inside told me ‘No, your eyes are blue’. I told her she was wrong. She asked, ‘You want to go to Vietnam?’ I said no and she said, ‘Then your eyes are blue’.
He got an IIS student deferment; I got a notice to report to a physical. It took me two years to get an IIS even when I was carrying 20 units and passing classes. It was the days before the lottery and the chicken hawks went to the National Guard.
When in the Vietnam conflict (much like today) the Marines and the Army ran out of fodder and only the colored kids and the Mexicans were getting called up, the white guys reinstituted the lottery. If you had a high number you did not go to the land of the little people. When you had a low number you were generally maggot meat or belonged to the missing parts club. I had a low number and I got to go to nine physicals before I got a 4F for bad knees. I really do have bad knees and the scars to prove it.
Recently one of the cabbage patch generals told the Congress that he was out of fodder. He said if they sent in 20,000 new troops there would be no way to replace them.
So guess what boys and girls, if we are at war, and many do not believe it any more, then all the chicken hawks who want to support their troops may get the chance. It is time for the draft with no exemptions for school marriage or anything else and other actions that take place during a war. (I want to see the Bushettes report for a physical and see if they can pass the drug test.)
So what should we be doing as a nation if we are war? I say it is time to cut the national speed limit to 55 mph, time to cut the size of the gas guzzling engines to four cylinders only, and time to institute a national emergency to force more solar power, wind power and water. It is time to rebuild mass transit and get the red car running from Riverside to the Santa Monica pier. It is time to get AMTRAK its own track and get it off the freight rail.
It is time to either fight this war as a nation or call it what it is a fraud on the dead and on the survivors. We can either support all of our troops by a national service call up or bring the troops home to the good ole US of A. So I say you go Charlie and get the bill in and let’s get the hearings started as to why all Americans shouldn’t serve the Fatherland.