For Republicans seeking to suppress comparisons between the war in Iraq and the one in Vietnam, here's a hint: The fight begins at home. Two weeks ago Republican senator Chuck Hagel, of Nebraska, proved his party's own worst enemy when he suggested that a draft might be necessary to fulfill America's commitment in Iraq. For poignant reminders of America's most poignant war, the draft ranks right up there with napalm.

Hagel didn't go so far as to say a draft is definitely needed right now, but he did say he wanted it on the table for discussion. His logic—that troops are stretched thin and the length of the operation is unclear—wasn't exactly unsound. It echoed arguments New York representative Charles Rangel, a Democrat, made last year. "Should we continue to burden the middle class, who represents most all of our soldiers, and the lower-middle class?" Hagel told the Associated Press. "Should we burden them with the fighting and the dying if in fact this is a generational—probably 25-year—war?"

It's no secret that with a volunteer army, the lion's share of the dying is done by people who come from poor and working-class families. Meanwhile, those who give the orders don't dare send their kids off. Today, African Americans make up about 22 percent of enlisted personnel, reports The New York Times, but only 12.7 percent of the U.S. population; black women account for more than half of all women in the army. An essayist on The News Hour With Jim Lehrer recently noted that only six representatives and one senator are known to have children serving.

Another version of the draft, floated last year by the head of the U.S. Selective Service System, would include women and target people with specialized skills, such as speaking multiple languages. See Full Article
 

Vikas Bandhu, 25 QUEENS New York Patriotism is dead in America, and a draft would be really harmful right now. So many people are anti-Bush. Are these the people you want to send to war? [Post-9-11] was an overexpression of patriotism. But now Bush has brought them back to reality. Authur Clarke, 30 TRENTON, NEW JERSEY There'd be a lot of problems because you'd have a lot of people coming from a civilian life. This ain't the army of the '60s or even the '70s—this is a professional army. Society is so free today, and it's a hard adjustment to make. You would need a draft if the war got out of hand, but not right now. I was in the first [Persian Gulf] war and now, this war in Iraq, I wanna go back, but I lost my father at an early age. I got two kids, and I don't want them to lose their father. Elizabeth Semrai, 24 MOUNT KISCO, NEW YORK I think that things were different [during the Vietnam War], and values were different. The whole country has changed since then, and now we have a very me-me society. I was more anti-war, but it's a really tough subject. I have a friend over there now, and it's so upsetting to get his e-mails. Lee Gabay, 34 MANHATTAN New York I would try to fight a draft order, but if I had to, I'd fight in a war. I wouldn't go to Canada. I'd rather get shot than go to Canada. Tracie Morris, declined to give her age BROOKLYN New York The issue is not who's going to war; it's, Is the war just? If this were World War II, maybe things would be different. If it were Afghanistan, it would be different. Asking the rich to serve doesn't make it better. Ask them to not take a tax cut. Look at how the soldiers are being treated already, who are volunteers. MORE

More Stories: Military Draft? Official Denials Leave Skeptics WASHINGTON, July 1, 2004 — The Pentagon says no. The Selective Service System says no. And Congressional leaders say absolutely not. Yet talk of reinstating the military draft persists around the country, driven by the Internet, high-profile moves by the military to shore up its forces and fears that all those solid reassurances about no need for conscription could quickly melt away if world events took a turn for the worse. Read Full Story NY Times.. Also Posted Here Rarely used reservists may go to Iraq CNN Pentagon Producer Mike Mount Thursday, June 24, 2004 WASHINGTON (CNN)-The troops, part of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), could be called to fill holes in units deploying to Iraq as part of the upcoming rotation of troops later this year. As many as 6,500 IRR troops could be called and would be chosen because of critical skills needed in Iraq, such as Military Police, infantry or engineers, Pentagon officials said. A decision by the Pentagon to call up these troops is expected within the next week, according to officials. The Pentagon has a pool of about 118,000 Army IRR troops, consisting of people with past military service who have a remaining mandatory service obligation. The category is distinct from regular Reserve troops because they do not perform any military service during the year, yet are still eligible to be called to service. Selective Service Responds "Notwithstanding recent stories in the news media and on the Internet, Selective Service is not getting ready to conduct a draft for the U.S. Armed Forces -- either with a special skills or regular draft. Rather, the Agency remains prepared to manage a draft if and when the President and the Congress so direct. This responsibility has been ongoing since 1980 and is nothing new. Further, both the President and the Secretary of Defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism.. Additionally, the Congress has not acted on any proposed legislation to reinstate a draft. Therefore, Selective Service continues to refine its plans to be prepared as is required by law, and to register young men who are ages 18 through 25." Yet Senate and House legislation dispute the Selective Service as this article in The Marine County Coastal Post Shows

Military And Civilian Draft Expected In 2005 For 18-26 Year Olds July 2004: There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the initiation of a military and civilian service draft which will allow the program to begin as early as Spring 2005-just after the 2004 presidential election. The Bush 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. Some $28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) 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 website: www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the sss 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 a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the US may have no choice but to draft. Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, 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.  SEE FULL STORY Conclusion Time will tell if the rumors are true or the Administration's denial of such, but one thing is sure, if the draft is to be reinstituted, this time with both men and women, nothing will happen until after the Presidential Election in November.  Announcing a draft would guarantee a Democratic victory. <End>