ACTION ALERT: Stop Endless Wars; End Selective Service
David Swanson / World BEYOND War & The Action Network
(February 2, 2020) — The US government is going to either expand draft registration to young women (signing them up to be forced against their will to kill and die) in the name of “equal rights,” or it is going to end this outdated barbarism.
Contrary to popular myth a draft does not decrease the chances or duration or extent of wars. Learn more at the Background links below.
A bill (H.R. 5492) has been introduced to end draft registration for everyone, and it is gaining cosponsors. But we still need help with Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Mark R. Warner, and Representative Denver Riggleman.
ACTION: Please click here to quickly email them to co-sponsor H.R. 5492 and to introduce parallel legislation in the Senate.
Then please phone them with the same message. Here are their numbers: (202) 224-4024, (202) 224-2023, (202) 225-4711.
H.R. 5492 would:
- Repeal the Military Selective Service Act (thereby eliminating Presidential authority to order men to register with the Selective Service System for a possible military draft and eliminating criminal penalties for failure or refusal to register);
- Abolish the Selective Service System (thereby ending contingency planning by the SSS for the Health Care Personnel Delivery System or any other form of special-skills draft);
- Prohibit all other Federal agencies from imposing civil sanctions (denial of federal student financial aid, federally-funded jobs, etc.) for nonregistration or using nonregistration as a basis for other adverse determinations (denial of naturalization as a US citizen, etc.);
- “Preempt” (and thereby override and prohibit) all state sanctions for nonregistration (denial of drivers’ licenses, state financial aid, state jobs, etc.); and
- Preserve the rights of conscientious objectors under other laws and regulations (such as applicants for reassignment to noncombatant duties or discharge from the military on the basis of conscientious objection).
The United States had an active draft from 1940 to 1973 (except for one year between 1947 and 1948). It also had numerous wars including in Korea and Vietnam. The Vietnam War not only persisted for many years during the draft, killing far more people than any US war since, but also continued for two years after the draft ended. And the only reason the war could continue was because the military had a steady stream of draftees.
Wars have usually been facilitated by a draft, not prevented. The drafts in the US civil war (both sides), the two world wars, and the war on Korea did not end those wars, despite being much larger and in some cases fairer than the draft during the US war on Vietnam.
On April 24, 2019, the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service heard testimony from Major General John R. Evans, Jr., Commanding General, US Army Cadet Command; Mr. James Stewart, Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness); and Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, Vice Director of Logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They all testified that the Selective Service System was important for insuring and enabling their war-making plans.
Stewart said that enacting a draft would show national resolve in support of war-making efforts. John Polowczyk said, “I think that gives us some ability to plan.”
Let’s take away the war mongers’ ability to plan!
Background:
WBW: Statement to the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
Edward Hasbrouck: Bill Introduced to End Draft Registration
Congress.gov: H.R. 5492
Bill text as PDF.
Center on Conscience & War, Code Pink, Committee on Militarism and the Draft, Courage to Resist, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, Resisters.info, Veterans For Peace, War Resisters League, World BEYOND War: It’s Time to End US Draft Registration Once and for All
Bill Galvin and Maria Santelli, Center on Conscience & War: It is time to abolish draft registration and restore full rights to people of conscience
David Swanson: Draft Registration Will Be Either Ended or Imposed on Women
David Swanson: How to Oppose the Draft for Women and Not Be Sexist
David Swanson: 10 Reasons Why Ending the Draft Helps End War
C.J. Hinke: The Last Draft Dodger: We Still Won’t Go
Rivera Sun: It’s Time. End the Draft Once and for All
Rivera Sun: Women’s Draft? Sign Me Up To Abolish War
World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, activists, and allied organizations advocating for the abolition of the very institution of war. Our success is driven by a people-powered movement — support our work for a culture of peace.
