The year is The Bush Administration, along with Congress, are debating instituting a draft in order to fulfill the troop needs in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The first group to be drafted will be those born from 1988 to More will follow. What are the pros and cons of this idea?

Draft

The Draft Boards

The Lottery System

On May 17, 1968, two women and seven men, three in clerical attire, arrived at the Selective Service office, Local Board 33, located in the Knights of Columbus building in Catonsville, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Entering the second-floor Selective Service office, the raiders brushed past three shocked employees and headed for the filing cabinets along the wall. They seized several hundred A-1 draft records, stuffing them into two wire incinerator baskets. Outside in the parking lot, the files were spilled on the ground, doused with homemade napalm, and ignited. Several onlookers, including previously alerted members of the press, gathered to watch the event. As the documents burned, the participants clasped hands near the fire and quietly recited the Lord's Prayer. Their purpose, they said, was to stop the flow of soldiers to Vietnam. "We do this because everything else has failed," said one. After a short time, five police officers arrived, arrested the participants, and loaded them into the back of a paddy wagon. Meanwhile Baltimore County firefighters put out the fire. The entire action took less than fifteen minutes. The protestors were later identified as Philip Berrigan, Daniel Berrigan, David Darst, John Hogan, Tom Lewis, John Melville, Marjorie Melville, George Mische, and Mary Moylan. Cantonsville Nine

So what were your options? 26.8 million draft-age men during the Vietnam Era. What did they do??

1. Report for military service as directed by the draft Just over 40% did just that…

You might qualify for a deferment Conscientious Objector Civilian occupation in agriculture, education, health, or religion. Extreme hardship to dependents Sole surviving son Health deferment College Student 15.4 million or 57% were deferred, exempted, or disqualified

Fortunate Son by J. C. Fogarty, (Credence Clearwater Revival) Some folks are born made to wave the flag, Ooh, they're red, white and blue. And when the band plays "Hail to the chief", Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no, Yeah! Some folks are born silver spoon in hand, Lord, don't they help themselves, oh. But when the taxman comes to the door, Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no. Some folks inherit star spangled eyes, Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord, And when you ask them, "How much should we give?" Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one. It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,

3. Ignore the draft order and risk prosecution and possible prison. About 200,000 draft dodgers were reported to federal prosecutors. 8,750 were convicted. 3,250 went to prison

4. You could flee the country. Canada, anyone? Up to 100,000 draft age men went north.

But some men did VOLUNTEER… 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. (Westmoreland papers) Approximately 70% of those killed were volunteers.(McCaffrey Papers)

As did some women…

So…back to the original question… Would you support a draft today? Why or why not?