DRAFT!

Combat draft, medical draft, skills draft. Who knew there would be so many ways to draft the population into even more unnecessary wars?

Here is a copy of an email that doesn't cover the half of it:

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 (companion 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 the Canada which will no
>longer permit anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay within
>it's borders. This bill also includes the extention of military
>service for all those that are currently active. If you go to the
>selcet 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 undergradates, 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 U.S.
>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, 200 1, Canada and the U.S.
>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 U.S. 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.