Couple questions for all you knowelegable folks. If the draft was ever reinstated is the only boy in the family required to go? Also what about the Amish. Do they have to sign up for selective service at age 18? Do they get drafted also or because of their religious beliefs make them exempt?

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), September 30, 2001

Answers

Planning on becoming Amish ? Sorry had to ask .I don't think they would be drafted .As for the only male child I'm not sure either , I guess it would depend on how bad we needed people.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), September 30, 2001.

No, not ready to convert. We have alot of Amish folks around us and I was just curious. I guess I will have to ask them. My son is 14 and I am worried that if this drags on will he have to go. He is the only boy in the family. I am being selfish.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), September 30, 2001.

I imagine Amish would qualify for conscientious objector status. This is not a get out of jail free card, they would still have to serve some capacity, maybe even empty bed pans in a VA hospital. Thats the way its suppose to work. In actuality, just watch what the politicians and the rich do with their kids. Know one of the big scams of the wealthy in Vietnam War was to buy their kids an apartment in a foreign city. They then registered for the draft at the US consulate as was the law. However no american living legally in a foreign country was ever drafted. They didnt have to give up citizenship or anything and this was all perfectly legal.

Personally I think no politician has the right to force others to fight in some cause just because he thinks its right and just. All should have the right to judge for themselves. You've seen the rise of patriotism when the usa is attacked. There would be no shortage of troops in a true time of need. There would and should be a shortage in some goofy war in far parts of the world that we had no buisiness in just to support some politicians whim or to defend some rich fat cat's interests.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), September 30, 2001.

I think they did away with the selective service for awhile now but also think I just heard something about them having re-instated that. I understand your worry; my stepson (17 1/2) just enlisted with the Marines about 2 weeks before Sept. 11th. I am very worried because he will be leaving for boot camp in about 2 months and will most definately be in danger somewhere. However, at the same time, I am very proud of him for having the bravery to defend his country, even with him being the only son.

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), September 30, 2001.

The Amish do not serve in any branch of the services and have filed for, and recieved, exempt status for religious beliefs as have many sects of Mennonites. Conscienceous objection status is very hard to get, but the Amish and Mennonites have documented thier cases so well in the past. That is not to say that none have ever gone, some have choosen to serve in non-militia, service oriented, capacities.

When they inacted the draft (last time being during Vietnam) they gave each person a rating: A1A, A2A, A1B, etc. It was according to age, marital status, number of children, etc. They would first call all the A1A, then when they needed more, the A2A, etc. Most young men under the age of 23 where A1A unless they were a full time student in college. When you were called, you would go first for your physical, if you passed -- you were outta here!

All men have been required to register before thier 18th birthday for a number of years now. I don't believe that ever stopped, even though there was no active draft -- but you still were required to register. You see signs up in the post office about it.

You can bet that if we are going to have to go to a ground war, they will have to enact the draft. There just are not enough men in the military at this time.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), September 30, 2001.

What if in the next world war, which recent events may have begun, every man, woman and child in our nation had to fight? What if the battles are right here on our soil? That will happen someday eventually. We are a young nation and not immune to what so many nations endured before us. Have Americans become so spoiled that they don't even consider this? In quite a few wars in the past 30 years, children as young as 6 were in them fighting. Some of the fiercist fighters in El Salvador(in the US sponsored war) in the 80s were teenage girls. Many people seem to ignore the rest of the world unless it's shown on tele-vision. The US has been involved in many wars in the past 30 years where countless women and children were killed in battle. You just didn't hear about them on the tv. Don't think it can't happen here.

-- no (nohate@mail.com), September 30, 2001.

All American males have had to register with the selective service for many years now. Amish register as conscientious objectors, which qualifies them for civilian service, such as work in mental hospitals, et cetera. If the fellow is from a farm that could not operate without his help, then he can get an exemption. The Amish do not see civilian service as persecution. In fact, they see it rather as an opportunity to stand for what they believe.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), September 30, 2001.

I only have the answer to one question: The son, if the only male does not have to go. If two or more brothers serve, and only one is left surviving he may be honarably discharged (ie:saving Private Ryan, the movie) Some other reasons you might be ineligable: seziure disorder, asthma, color blindness, arthritis. A declaration of war could negate all of the above.

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), September 30, 2001.

Tracy, I personally think that with everyone who already is in the armed forces plus the reserves, I don't believe that we would ever have a draft. So enjoy your family and don't worry.

-- Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania (kirklbb@penn.com), September 30, 2001.

Tracy, My son is 20 and nearly married and I have your same fears! My best friend (male and retired from the Air Force) now has two daughters in the Air Force. Hopefully there are enough folks who WANT to be in the military that others who are not military-minded won't have to go.

I know it may come to the point where we will all have to fight here in our home land but that would be an entirely different scenario.

To be good in the military a person has to have a certain mind set and a certain kind of personality. I know, my husband served in the Arm during Vietnam and my best friend from high school was shot down over Cambodia (and then five years ago had to have a bone marrow transplant---Agent Orange anyone???)

anyway, we can all just pray for the best. suzy

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), September 30, 2001.

Michael, don't get too comfy with that thought. At this time we have less enlisted personal in the armed forces than in anyother time in history! We had the draft for 7 years during Vietnam. That was only Vietnam -- what do you think it will be if we are defending in several countries at once. During WWII every man was drafted under the age of 49 (except of course for medical reasons, etc.) That was why there were so many women working the factories, stores, etc. -- no men left! It is very scary now, because most women already work now. Who will mind the store???? .....ahh, and factories, etc.?

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), September 30, 2001.

Did anyone ever answer Tracy's question regarding the only male child in a family being eligible for the draft?

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), September 30, 2001.

karen . There just are not enough men in the military at this time. what about women let them go. IM NOT GOING

-- bin jr (bin@laden.com), September 30, 2001.

Yes Gary they did and no he could not be drafted . This is also the first time I have been happy that my son has asthma.It's not being selfish its your baby boy ,I can't blame any mother for not wanting there child to go of to war.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), September 30, 2001.

I have heard that younger people are TRYING to go into the services. That recruiting has gone up over 100% since WTC. Do not worry so much. If these brave kids can stand up for our country, we need to back them. If you don't want to defend the country, then never ask for the benefits of it, including freedom.

-- notnow (notnow05@yahoo.com), September 30, 2001.

I agree Patty and I already looked into. My son is just now turning 17, the only male heir period. And thank you God! He could go into the military but could not be sent "to" the fighting. We also found out that anybody that has been discharged for less than 8 years could be called back up, except if they had a medical discharge.

Though I do pray nothing comes of it, what a wake up call this would be to our youth! Their anti-war, anit-establishment- anit-life, glorifiying death songs. If they did have to go away to fight for their freedom, to see other countries where the populace has no rights, what a wakeup call it would be for them.

Bin Laden Junior from the other thread should have to stand first in line! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 30, 2001.

I have a 21 year old son and also an almost 24 year old son who just graduated from combat medic training..right after boot camp. He graduated Sept 14th! He is an army reserve. His unit is in KY. I am REALLY worried. I know the older one will have to go if there is fighting and his reserve unit goes active, but would his brother go too?? VERY scary!!! I have a much younger (5 years old) adopted son too. I guess he is safe.

-- Jenny Pipes (Auntjenny6@aol.com), October 01, 2001.

I think the Amish and the Quakers during Viet Nam had to serve in the state and mental hospitals. Remember you had a lot of young people going to Canada to avoid the draft. Nixon pardened them all and they came home. I understand we needed that to heal the country but a lot of boys didn't come home either. We use to say that it was poor white boys and blacks that were drafted during that time. Because if you were rich enough to stay in college or Daddy had pull you didn't go in the draft. I thought that I had heard something about a possible draft again but the ages would be late 20's and early 30's. Hopefully it won't get to that !! Had a women at work the other night say that her son wouldn't go into the Army if there was a draft. I asked her how she felt about her son and that...she couldn't say anything. It's a hard call.....I now have a son-in-law in the service and 4 grandson's and sure hope nothing real exciting happens. I am thankful in a sad way like the other reader that 2 of the boys had medical problems that would keep them out of the fighting. My husband actually still has his draft card in his wallet...he says that you have to carry it with you everywhere. I really don't think that Uncle Sam is going to grab a 55 year old off the street to serve his country. But maybe it still lets him believe he's still "young"...Like the saying goes..."old men make war and young men fight it"...or something like that. Let's just all pray that nothing happens like this.

-- Helena (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), October 01, 2001.

Do you really think that the next world war will be a "combat" type war? This is an honest question -- I'd really like to know what everyone thinks.

My personal belief is that technology has come to the point where *most* of the war would be fought by computers -- chucking bombs at each other. Yes -- there would be a need for combat personnel to a certain degree -- but I don't think it would be on the "cannon fodder" scale of the two previous world wars.

-- Tracy Rimmer (trimmer31@hotmail.com), October 01, 2001.

I think it's too early to know what kind of war we're going to find ourselves in.

If President Bush is really serious about "waging war on terrorism" we could *potentially* find ourselves taking on more than a few nations. What I suspect is that he's only going to go after selected terrorist organizations and leave the rest be.

The problem with this entire concept is that terrorism is a tactic, not an enemy. Precisely defining who is and is not a terrorist is going to be quite tricky, most especially when you start trying to build coalitions of other nations to wage that war. If we'd stop talking about "waging war on terrorism" and start naming specific groups and individuals as enemies we'd get a lot clearer idea of who the enemy *is*, who his potential allies are, and the general shape of the kind of war it would take to eliminate him.

Right now we have a vast lack of any sort of meaningful information and it doesn't seem that our government is in any big hurry to inform us. If this war begins to result in large losses of American lives or American money that cannot last.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), October 01, 2001.

If you want to get any federal student aid in future you have to register for the draft if you are of legal age and male. I also think that women should register for the draft. With equal rights and equal pay should come equal responsibilities. I am a little sad to see so many people already thinking along the lines of "how can I get my child out of this possible draft?" when others are actively volunteering.

I am surprised that the "male heir" exemption is still allowed in these enlightened times. "Only child" I can understand (and some health exemptions), but as far as I know there is no law that says a woman must take her husband's name or even name children using his last name. Custom and tradition perhaps, but no law. Therefore, any child can carry on the family name. Not to mention that with in vitro fertilization being fairly commonplace now, one could save eggs/sperm and still go. If the situation were dire enough, perhaps the government would pick up the tab for the process. You still have the ability to have an "heir" for what it's worth.

Finally, it is a fact of life that we will all die at some point in time. True, sending a child off to war and maybe death is a sad thing, but so is losing a child in a drunk driving accident, or a drive-by shooting, or any one of many other worse ways to die.

Just a thought.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), October 01, 2001.

I am long past draft age unless the powers that be get very desperate. And I have no children so am not worried about them. However the draft is something I feel strongly against.

In my opinion, it is not the duty of the individual citizen to be a military slave at the whim of some leader. It is the individual right to selectively choose when to risk his/her life for a cause. This is freedom. The draft makes a mockery of the very freedoms we would supposedly be fighting for. If a cause is just then there will be those who believe enough in it to volunteer. Notice enlistments are up in US military after the recent attack even though there is really no traditional war needing more troops. If it is an unjust cause nobody should be enslaved to fight for it. You notice on the news that many Afghanis are fleeing across the border to escape the Taliban military draft. Yet many of these fleeing are the same ones who fought fiercely against Soviet occupation. Do we really need to ever stoop to the same level as tyrants in raising an army? Many of our ancestors came to America not only for land and opportunity, but to escape military service in some European tyrants army. And when you were pressed into service under many of these systems, it was for a lifetime or until you were too crippled or old to be of any use to them.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), October 02, 2001.

I do not know the answer to your question. My son is 37 but health will keep it out.

However, I asked my husband, who is 66 and fought in Korea, if they called up older people would he go. He said in a heart beat! He said, no one is going to take freedom away from his family or his country. I am sure he is not the only older vet who feel that way.

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), October 02, 2001.

Its says on www.sss.gov only sons can be drafted.

-- kelly miller (kellys_plants@hotmail.com), October 06, 2001.

Odd... in the Vietnam war and WW II... when the draft was used... my brother and a only son... was drafted and spent 18 fighting in Saigon area of Vietnam...

WWII... my dad, an only son, was also drafted and served in Japan....

both times the my parents and grandparents tried to exmept them due to only son and being farmers... did n't work

so only sons or not.. they go...

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenassiacne@hotmail.com), October 07, 2001.

whoops... my brother fought 18 MONTHS... sorry my brain was thinking faster than my fingers

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenassiacne@hotmail.com), October 07, 2001.

Might as well go to the horse's mouth...

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenaissance@hotmail.com), October 08, 2001.

I'll try this again.... the site for selective service

http://www.sss.gov/viet.htm

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenaissance@hotmail.com), October 08, 2001.

I understand what parents are feeling about their children being drafted. I am almost 18 and I have no desire to be drafted. It is against my religion to take another person's life. It is a commandment, and I will never defy that commandment. If I were drafted and allowed to serve in another area that would not infringe on my beliefs then I would go. This is the scariest thing that I have ever thought about in my life. I have my own dreams of the future. I want to be a pediatrician and have a family. I do not want to die fighting some battle with a rich guy over seas who isn't happy with the way the US operates. I would do anything I could to protect my future wife and children even if it involved laying my life down for them, however, I will not do so while trying to kill another. I read other people's comments on how if teens are not willing to fight for our country then we should not ask for the benefits. In saying this are you also agreeing to fight? Will you be on the front line? Or is it just easy to say that because YOU know that YOU will not have to fight? It is easy to dictate how someone else should handle a situation, but unless you yourself are willing to fight (or forced to fight) do not speak badly about others who do not want to. AND TO PARENTS of teens about to turn 18 or already within draft age. I can tell you from experience of being there, talk to your boys. This a scary thing to face, especially by yourself. http://www.sss.gov is a good place to find info, as it is the official site for the selective services. If any parent would like to discuss how to talk to their teen about this email me and I will try to help.

-- Nick (nperkins@seicdg.com), November 05, 2001.