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April 24, 2004
The Draft –
we need it, but we won’t use it -
well, maybe…
By Erika Robles/HispanicVista.com
On January 7, 2003,
both houses of Congress introduced the
“Universal National Service Act of
2003” (S89 and HR 163); a bill to
reinstate the military draft and
mandate either military or civilian
service for two years for all “U.S.
citizens and every other person residing
in the U.S., who is between the ages of
18 and 26.”
To that end, the legislation –which
could begin as early as Spring
2005-authorizes the President to
establish both the number of people to be
selected for military service and the
means of selection. Additionally, the
measure requires those not selected
specifically for military service to
perform their national service obligation
in a civilian capacity.
The last draft, ended by Congress in 1973
as the Indochina War was winding down,
contained exclusions for college students
and women. Under this bill, however,
deferments for education will be
permitted only through high-school
graduations or until the person attains
the age of 20 and includes women too.
Canada won’t be an option either to
be excluded from the draft. In December
2001, Canada and the US signed a “smart
border declaration,” which ensures
the secure flow of people and goods
across the border and could be also used
to prevent draftees from leaving the
country.
The legislations, introduced in the
Senate by Sen. Hollings and in the House
by Rep. Rangel, are now in Congressional
Committees waiting to be picked up and
voted on.
“We’ve failed to convince our
allies to send troops, we’ve
extended deployments so morale is
sinking, and the president is saying we
can’t cut and run. So what’s
left? The draft is a very sensitive
subject, but at some point, we’re
going to need more troops, and at that
point the only way to get them will be a
return to the draft,” Rep Rangel
stated.
Charles Peña, director of defense
studies at the Cato Institute, insists
that as many as 480,000 soldiers may be
needed to restore order in Iraq: “The
only reason you aren’t hearing these
kinds of numbers discussed by the White
House and the Defense Department right
now is that you couldn’t come up
with them without a return to the draft,
and they don’t want to talk about
that.”
According to the Information Clearing
House, the Selective Service has been
trying since the summer to fill 10,350
vacant draft board positions and 11,070
vacant appeals board slots. Moreover,
their 2004 budget has been increased by
$28 million in a time when budgets are
being slashed everywhere to accommodate
the deficit.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see
this bill being voted on before the
election in November 2004, as no
President seriously seeking re-election
would dare to try to impose a mandatory
draft and military service.
Senator John Kerry has promised that if
elected president, he won’t
reinstate the military draft, but at the
same time he said he’ll increase
troop numbers by 40,000.
President Bush and his staff have also
promise that there are no plans to
reinstate it.
The stationing of U.S. troops all over
the world –in more than 100
countries- has resulted in this call for
a draft. According to the Agence
France-Press, November, 2003,
"Republican Senator John McCain said
we must deploy at least another full
division to Iraq. When the U.S. fought
the first Persian Gulf War in 1991, it
had ten army divisions ready to deploy at
home as reinforcements. Today, there’s
just one division remaining in the U.S.
and the reserves are stretched
thin."
It all comes down to trust. Although
Senator Kerry hasn’t yet earned our
trust, to his advantage, however, he was
an anti-war activist after serving his
duties as a Navy officer in the Vietnam
War and knows first-hand the pitfalls of
the military draft.
On the other hand,
President Bush loses our trust everyday
(with imaginary weapons of mass
destruction, Iraq being an eminent threat
to the U.S., failing to address the
nation about the bill to reinstate the
draft already introduced in both houses,
etc.). And although he has promised not
to reinstate it, once he ends up with a
second term, he’s basically free to
do anything he wants.
The possible reinstatement of the draft
is rather unknown to most, but in order
to make an educated decision in the
coming elections, everyone must become
knowledgeable of the situation. If you
disagree with it, then speak up. Become
informed. Talk to your local
Representatives. Take action to stop it
now, before it’s too late.
__________________________________
Erika Robles, a contributing columnist to
HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com),
is a writer and translator now living in
Eugene, Oregon. She was educated in
Mexico City; London, England; and
Melbourne, Australia. Contact at: erikare77@hotmail.com.
Web page: http://www.geocities.com/oakspublishing
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