NMR: Mandatory Draft/HR 163

[Guest guest]

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 (twin 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 Canada which

> will no longer permit anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay

> within it's borders. This bill also includes the extension of

> military service for all those that are currently active.

>

> If you go to the selective 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

> undergraduates, our children and our grandchildren. Please take the

> time to write your congressman and let them know how you feel about

> this legislation. http://www.house.gov/

>

> http://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

>

> http://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 US may have

> no choice but to draft.

>

> http://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 2001, Canada

> and the US signed a " smart border declaration, " which could be used

> to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of

> foreign affairs, Manley, and US 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.

>

[Guest guest]

Knowing the government as we do, anything can happen,

lets see what happens after the election, politicians

actions shift like smoke in the wind in a election

year.

markb

--- Smz143@... wrote:

> Thank you for the info Mark.

> I sent that email out as it was sent to me, and I

> thought it may be of some

> interest to some.

>

> Sounds like it is old news. )

>

> Sheila

>

>

>