It’s the start of summer and, all over the country, families are sending their newly graduated youngsters into the world. It’s a time of great celebration. If only parents knew.
I have two teenage kids. A month ago one of their friends lost his only parent, leaving him with no close relatives to help him. His mother had been sick with cancer for a while and I quickly discovered that she had not been able to teach him the independent living skills that most kids his age possess. For example, he doesn’t know how to balance a checkbook or fill out an application. Yesterday I sat down with him to help him fill out his FAFSA (that application you have to turn in to get financial aid for college). About half an hour after he started his FAFSA, he called me over to the computer. “Mrs. V., what is Selective Service?” I told him I didn’t know but to give me a minute and I’d find out. I couldn’t believe the results of my Google search. First, a little history lesson….
President Richard Nixon is most commonly remembered for his role in the Watergate scandal, as well as for his resignation to avoid impeachment. Despite the negativity surrounding his presidency, he did do one thing that the American people should be grateful for – he eliminated the draft and made military service strictly voluntary. By 1975 all elements of the draft had been done away with, including the requirement for young men to register when they turned 18. America’s young men could breathe a sigh of relief and relax……but not for long.
In 1980, fueled by concerns over the Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan, then President Jimmy Carter re-instituted registration of young men under the Military Selective Service Act. Registration goes on today and my question is – does the general public know that their young men are one step away from being drafted, even though the government supposedly eliminated the draft?
According to the Selective Service website (https://www.sss.gov), every male between the ages of 18 and 26 years of age must register unless they are incarcerated or institutionalized for medical or psychiatric reasons. Even “undocumented immigrants” and men who have undergone sex-change surgery to become a woman have to register. No exceptions. Even men who are legally disabled are required to register if they are within the age group and not in a residential facility. Even if it violates your religious beliefs, you have to register (they call these “conscientious objectors”).
I thought, okay, simple enough……I’ll tell him to skip this part, not to register, and keep filling out the FAFSA. IT WOULDN’T LET HIM! In order to file a FAFSA for financial aid, you have to register. Furthermore, many states have enacted legislation so that you can’t get a driver’s license without registering. There is no way around it unless you have enough money to pay for your own college and have a chauffeur. Oh, yeah, and rich enough to pay the fine and post bail. According to the SSA website:
“Registration is the law. A man who fails to register may, if prosecuted and convicted, face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of up to five years.”
Really? What. the. hell?!?!?!
Now, here’s where a lot of people say that it’s no big deal….there’s no draft anymore and this doesn’t mean anything. Okay….if it didn’t mean anything, then why is it punishable by prison sentence for non-compliance? No, this is the government telling the public “don’t worry, we won’t reinstate the draft” while continuing the drafting process. All the president has to do is get Congress’ permission to reinstate and the lotteries begin. Considering Obama’s track record of working with Congress, I wouldn’t be surprised if he bypassed Congress altogether and simply used his “pen and phone” to start the process. The only way to truly safeguard our young men is to do away with the Selective Service, thereby guaranteeing that an irresponsible government will have a more difficult time shipping America’s men into another Vietnam.
I mean, seriously, if a war begins that is righteous the government will not need to institute a draft. Enough people will step up to defend our national interests – especially if there is an immediate threat to home turf. If the war is not just enough for the people to get behind it, then we probably shouldn’t be getting into it in the first place. Right?
The Selective Service Act is nothing more than the draft on hold, and I believe it’s critical that we get this act repealed as soon as possible. Please contact your representatives and tell them to repeal the SSA. For the sake of all of our young men.
Realizations, Ruminations, and Life 