Has anyone seen this? Nothing to do with Fluxlist I know. But a bit scary! XXX Roger
> STOP THE DRAFT! > > While all the shouting and electioneerig is taking up > media space, Bush's administration is on track for > enacting a new draft. > > STOP IT NOW - BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE FOR OUR KIDS! > > Canada has already closed its borders to everyone of > draft age - > > 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 (twinbills: 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 > extension of military service for all those that are > currently active. If you go to the select 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. > > 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) prov es 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 2001, 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 m ust voice our > concerns and create the world we want to live in for > our children and grandchildren. >
