Tuesday, October 22, 2002

The Days of the Draft QUOTE OF THE DAY "No one, including Donald Rumsfeld, can realistically guess the possible costs and consequences. Radical Islamist extremists surely hope that an attack on Iraq will kill many people and destroy much of the country, providing recruits for terrorist actions." - - Noam Chompsky RHINO HERE: I was talking with a friend a few weeks back about a life passage we both went through that we agreed was one of the single most influential on our character: making the decision to be a conscientious objector. That decision has influenced so much of what my life has become, and I know the same is true of him and many other friends. My objection was based simply on the faith of my Parents and Grandparents: Judaism; The Ten Commandments; Thou Shalt Not Kill, period. And if you ask me to be a cog (medic etc.) in your killing organization, I object to that too. So now comes what shrub & company say is not just a war, but an ongoing struggle against the evil ones. And then they propose to act out foreign policy that will surely reinforce the arguments and the manpower resources of "the evil ones". And as always, the U.S. Armed Forces have recruiters making presentations to high school graduates and at junior colleges. "Teach your children well", Rhino suggests. Some of my friends are making presentations in schools on why and how to become a Conscientious Objector. For more information, one good organization is the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors: http://www.objector.org/ 630 20th Street, Suite 302 Oakland, CA 94702 888-231-2226 info@objector.org Below is the ending excerpt of an article published on 9/11 of this year concerning the possibility of the draft being reinstated. 9:47:21 AM    comment

Think the Days of the Draft are Gone? Think Again By William Rivers Pitt, for t r u t h o u t | Perspective, September 11th., 2002 ...when asked in the last year what the result of another attack would be. In the aftermath, the Bush administration will assuredly push for that region-wide regime change in the Middle East, but will be unable to do so without forced conscriptions, because the military is currently stretched too thin. Thus, the draft. Farfetched? Hardly. In fact, there is presently in Congress a bill pending that would require military conscription. H.R. 3598, entitled "Universal Military and Training Act of 2001," was introduced into the House of Representatives on December 20th, 2001 by Republican Rep. Nick Smith of Michigan. It calls for the drafting of all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 22 for military service. Even those who would declare themselves conscientious objectors would be drafted and given military training, whereupon they would be peeled off to another Federal agency to serve out their term. At present, H.R. 3598 languishes in the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, which is attached to the House Committee on Armed Services, because it has not enjoyed enough support in Congress. Should the very real scenario described above unfold, and specifically if this nation is attacked again, H.R. 3598 could well enjoy an incredible surge in popularity. There is a high-stakes game of poker being played within the administration right now. The hawks are holding aces and betting them. Around them on the card table, the chips are piled high. Your sons, your brothers, your friends are in that pile. So are you, if you are of age. After September 11th, the only thing likely to happen is that which was previously inconceivable. Could war in Iraq bring terrorism back to our country? Could it lead to a regional conflagration in the Middle East? Could it lead to another draft? I wouldn't bet against it. READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT: http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/09.12A.wrp.draft.htm Reprinted under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law ( http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html ). All copyrights belong to original publisher. "RHINO'S NEWS BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. Feedback is encouraged and can be emailed to him at: rhino@kifaru.com RHINO'S WEB SITES: http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207 (RHINO'S NEWS WEBLOG - PRESENT & PAST) http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) 9:41:05 AM    comment

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