Mothers Against The Draft - Defenging the future of our children & our nation
HomeWho We AreThat You Can DoState ChaptersForumContact Us
Sunday, 06 July 2008

Anti-war lawmaker presses again for military draft

May 27, 2005, 4:47 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Rep. Charles Rangel is once again pushing a bill to re-instate the military draft, a year after the effort caused a flurry of campaign-season conflict over the war in Iraq.

Rangel, an anti-war Democrat from Harlem, offered the same measure last year, only to vote against it when Republicans brought the bill to the House.

At the time, GOP leaders were upset over a growing buzz on the Internet that the Bush administration might begin drafting American citizens if Bush won re-election. They blamed Democrats for fueling the speculation in a cynical attempt to win voters to their candidate, John Kerry.

Rangel said he is again calling for a draft because military recruitment is falling short.

"Everyone knows that we went into this war with an insufficient number of troops, but the problem now is filling the ranks of those units that are already on the ground," said Rangel.

The veteran lawmaker has railed against the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war, called for the removal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and argued that the burdens of the war disproportionately have fallen on the poor and minorities.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

Article source.

History of Conscription

Conscription: Four Centuries of Bad Faith
Also for many non-military reasons, the Constitutional Convention denied the federal government conscription authority. But the Constitution's military clauses, the Second Amendment and the Universal Militia Act of 1791 reaffirmed conscription at the state level. The militias (which slowly evolved into the National Guard) would be made available to the federal government ("federalizing the guard"), but only under specific circumstances: declared war, invasion, insurrection, domestic disorder.

Legislation: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Restoring the Draft: The Universal National Service Act of 2006
"all persons in the United States, including women, between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a [two year] period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." The bill applies to both US citizens and non-citizens, to men and women. There does not appear to be a provision which would exempt women who are pregnant and/or caring for infants/children in a young age.

Policy Wonks: For Involuntary Service

An opportunity for shared sacrifice
On the campaign trail these days, there are few fresh ideas, and in the wake of the fifth 9/11 anniversary, there are still not enough calls for public sacrifice beyond that made by our troops. National service isn't a new idea. It arises from one of the oldest themes of U.S. history. What does the citizen owe the state? Answer: mandated public service without exemptions.

Policy Wonks: Against Involuntary Service

The Nationalization of the American People
With military manpower shortages arising out of the war in Iraq, there is talk in the air that the federal government might reinstitute the draft, most likely sometime after the November election. Such a prospect should cause every American to reflect not only on the moral and philosophical relationship of the individual person and the state but also on how far Americans have strayed from the true principles of a free society.

Government Documents and Reports

Transition to and from Hostilities
U.S. military expeditions to Afghanistan and Iraq are unlikely to be the last such excursions. America’s armed forces are extremely capable of projecting force and achieving conventional military victory. Yet success in achieving U.S. political goals involves not only military success but also success in the stabilization and reconstruction operations that follow hostilities. Furthermore, orchestration of all instruments of U.S. power in peacetime might obviate the need for many military excursions to achieve political objectives; or, failing that, at least better prepare us to achieve political objectives during stabilization and reconstruction operations.
Keep informed with our FREE newsletter!
Name:

Email:

Receive HTML mailings?
Subscribe
Unsubscribe
Take Action Tools
MAD in the News
Press Releases
Sign The Petition
Front Page News
No Child Left Unrecruited
Military Over-stretched
National Service, the Draft in Drag
Women in Combat
Wars & Rumors of War
Commentary
Research Room

Find Federal Officials
Enter ZIP Code:

or Search by State

Find State Officials
Enter ZIP Code:

or Search by State

Contact The Media
Enter ZIP Code:

or Search by State


 
Copyright © Mothers Against The Draft, P.O. Box 656, Sparks, NV, 89432, Phone: 775-356-9009 Fax: 775-3560727, Design by Px Design