Here comes the draft.

[vinnievin777]

Commanders request thousands of more troops.

Vinnie Vin
http://www.vinnievin.com

[nedlogg]

1. Good!

Nothing will bring and end to these stupid wars faster than the draft.

[skylarmae]

2. one can only hope so, but maybe not....

we will have to take a look at the deferral list. There were so many different reasons you could avoid going into the service before, (i.e. school, weak heart, flat feet, daddy's a senator and can get me out or at least a 'cushie' position, gay... and on and on

We'll have to see how the rich protect their own this time. Maybe if you go to church on SUNDAY will be your 'get out of the draft free' card. LOL

[atreides1]

8. Not many exemptions remaining

Most of the exemptions that protected cowards like Cheney, Ashcroft, and Wolfowitz, no longer exist. President Nixon did away with them by executive order.

There is still an exemption for college, but it only allows that the draftee time to finish up the year that they are in, and to be declared a CO takes documentation, and alot of it.

[Javaman]

19. The college exemption is only for seniors.

Everyone else has to go.

[StopThief]

3. Which is exactly why. . . .

there will NEVER be a draft. It will not happen.

[Warpy]

5. That didn't work for Vietnam or Korea

Having a ready supply of cannon fodder means more wars, not fewer wars.

It might be different if the rich ever had to dirty their hands with military service on the ground with the blood and misery. If any of the scions of the rich go into the military, it's as a pampered upper level officer and a stepping stone to high public office.

The only thing that has kept us out of Syria and Iran is the lack of a large manpower pool for the military. That's about to end.

[greenohio]

4. God I hope not...

It will help us, but not the country.

[SoCalDem]

6. But..but...but

_*² said there would be no draft:shrug:... That would mean he's a LIARRRRRRRRRR.. but then we alll knew that:(

[AllegroRondo]

10. That wont stop him

its not like he has to worry about re-election anymore.

[sdfernando]

7. They'll Ask....I'll Tell!

If this happens you're going to see a big jump in the gay population!

[Spinzonner]

9. Is there a place to go register ?

[sdfernando]

11. Get Certified

All you need to do to get certified...go down to your local GLTB (LXNDICESTSCS) Centre (note that it is centRE NOT CentER!) and take the courses needed for certification. They could include things like:

The Perfect Quiche 101

Will & Grace...The Early Years

Vocabulary Adjustment 201 (Lisps Really ARE for Sissies!)

Expressive Vocabulary 301 (Your Hands Aren't Just For Holding Things)

Speaking of hands....Advanced Digital Maniuplation (302)

Don't Be Afraid of Using Color (decoration course)

I don't remember all the courses I took...It was sooo long ago, but I do remember having a ton of oral exams!


edited for spelling (I'm a horrible typist & proof reader!)

[Spinzonner]

12. Thanks for the education

but I think I think I'm hopelesly heterosexual and way too old to change teams.

Still, with the draft comimg up perhaps it might be a good idea to set up a counter-registration process :-)

[sdfernando]

13. Provisional?

Perhaps something along the lines of a "Provisional Certifcation" just enough to get you passed over?? Yes???

[m berst]

14. sudden appearance

What is the connection between don't ask-don't tell, the draft, and anti-war activism? This is suddenly appearing around the Internet.

What led you to make this connection, sdfernando?

Here is what a new member posted last night on our board:

"Should anti-war activists, now that the possibility for reinstating the draft is strong, come out in favor of the keeping the current don't-ask-don't-tell policy in the military? Should we write to our Senators and Representatives and say that we would strongly oppose any lifting on the ban of out gays and bisexuals in the military? This might be the most effective tool to use as an out for people who do not want to be drafted."

And my response:

What draft? What anti-war activists? What gays?

I must be on the wrong planet.

Anti-war activism doesn't mean "ways to avoid serving" that I have ever been aware of. During the 60's it was all of the pro-war people who figured out ways to dodge the draft, and a lot of them are in the current administration and are Republican party leaders in congress and in the state governments now.

"Don't ask don't tell" means that is it nobody's business, which means that there are no "gay people" in the military or anywhere else, since we don't categorize and define human beings using that criteria. Heroes and chicken-hawks is a more useful way to categorize people if you feel the urge to create groups of people to hate or to identify with. Or, you can root for the "Texas A&M Aggies people" and hate the "Texas Longhorns people" - you know now "they" are. That would make more sense, actually, and would be a lot less dangerous. The crowds are supervised at the games, and no one takes people too seriously when they rant and rave and scream and shout. I would like to see rowdy hooliganism and brainless partisan cheer-leading stay in the football stadium and not happen in our streets, thank you.

There aren't any anti-war activists to speak of yet. No real liberals either to speak of, if "they" are on your mind, too. But there will be, you can count on that.

[sdfernando]

15. Sudden appearance.....not

I don't think I made any connection with anti-war activisim. I was merely pointing out a perfectly legal way to avoid the draft as things stand now. One I certainly would use, but then again I AM gay so I wouldn't be lying about it in the least.

You said:

"Don't ask don't tell" means that is it nobody's business, which means that there are no "gay people" in the military or anywhere else, since we don't categorize and define human beings using that criteria."

I agree its nobody's business, but to say there are no "gay people" in the military because if this policy is naive. There are, have been, and always will be gay people in the military. Acting like an ostrich and putting you head in the sand so you don't see it doesn't change that fact. It is also a highly discrimatory (sp?) policy. Gay people cannot openly acknowledge their life partners, cannot talk about their boyfriends or girlfriends like "straight" people do. There's a whole host of situations where gay people must remain silent or risk punishment and/or discharge (dishonorable of course).

This is not a sudden appearance, this line of discussion has been alive and well and highly discussed in the gay community ever since Don't Ask, Don't Tell was enacted. If you're not gay, then I can't expect you to know that. If you are, then you haven't been paying attention.

[m berst]

16. perhaps I wasn't clear

I didn't say that you made the connection to anti-war activism. I didn't give you a completely clean bill of health, for the simple reason that you are new, you didn't go into much detail about your position (which you now have) and because I had just recently heard several right wingers connect don't ask-don't tell with the draft so I was suspicious.

"If you're not gay, then I can't expect you to know that. If you are, then you haven't been paying attention."

Guilty of not paying close enough attention. Thanks for making me aware of this.

By "no gay people in the military" I didn't mean literally, but rather that it is not relevant to their service to country, and that it is not a legitimate basis for judging, discriminating against or defining a human being.

"I agree its nobody's business, but to say there are no "gay people" in the military because if this policy is naive. There are, have been, and always will be gay people in the military. Acting like an ostrich and putting you head in the sand so you don't see it doesn't change that fact. It is also a highly discriminatory (sp?) policy. Gay people cannot openly acknowledge their life partners, cannot talk about their boyfriends or girlfriends like "straight" people do. There's a whole host of situations where gay people must remain silent or risk punishment and/or discharge (dishonorable of course).

Great paragraph, and I am in 100% agreement with you.

Welcome to DU, and I apologize for being suspicious of you.

[sdfernando]

17. Hope I didn't go off on you too badly...

Its an issue that really gets to me...Perhaps because my father was a career officer in the army and all my brothers served in one of the branches. I didn't because I refuse to suppress who and what I am. I've had discussions about this with my father, he is pretty conservative (voted for Bush..yada...yada..yada...). But on this issue he was very open to my points. He even pointed out to me that the Truman ordered the Army integrate back in the 50s. The first Federal institution to really do so. Back then, the same things they are saying about gay people, they were saying about African Americans. So did recruiting suffer? No. Was there a mass exodus from the Army? No. So did the Army command structure collapse? No, in fact an African American rose the be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Colin Powell).

My attempt at humor to make a point seems to have fallen flat. Maybe I'll get it right the next time.

Thanks for the welcome.

[m berst]

18. understood. no problem. n/t