From congress.org. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=5834001&content_dir=ua_congressorg

"There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin at early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election. The 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.

$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 U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, http://www.hslda.org/legislation/na...s89/default.asp 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.

Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era.

College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the U.S. signed a "smart border declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

Even those voters who currently support US actions abroad may still object to this move, knowing their own children or grandchildren will not have a say about whether to fight. Not that it should make a difference, but this plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft.

The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision.

Please send this on to all the friends, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and cousins that you know. Let your children know too -- it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change!

Please also contact your representatives to ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills -- and contact newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story."

-- The Penis in the Rye (astralretro@yahoo.com), August 09, 2004

Answers

For starters who would take someone that goes by the name of "The Penis in the Rye" seriously, except maybe the queer tv media & they don't count anyways! Not to the 99.9% of us who r str8t & don't watch gayble-vision type media!

-- Whatever (whatever@whoRu2askme.com), August 09, 2004.

Go back to AOL, you dumb fuck.

-- The Penis in the Rye (astralretro@yahoo.com), August 11, 2004.

Fuck that! If they do reinstate the draft, I'm going to Europe. I've got friends in the UK, Germany, and Austria. I'm not going to be cannon fodder for this government.

-- Anti-bush (Comrade_bleh@hotmail.com), August 11, 2004.

It pisses me off. But then again, when you look at it, I don't see how or why they could do a draft, seeing how the U.S. has many people in it's reserves, and people who can serve another 4-year hitch.

If the draft does happen, however, I'm all for leaving to the UK, and I don't care if I can never come back here again.

-- The Penis in the Rye (astralretro@yahoo.com), August 12, 2004.

I wouldnt worry about that. From someone who administrated human resources in the 2 past wars...... trust me the draft wont happen. People signing up for the military has jumped up 11%, and now they are reactivating people that have been out. Also they can hold you over 5 years if they need to they can hold you in the service up to 12 years..... like in Europe. Anti-Bush just be like Humes. He was a little bitch that went into the military but when he heard they wanted him in Mobile Infatry he just stopped doing everything right until they booted him. So when they draft you just dont clean up stay in bed and talk back.... they will kick you out real quick.

-- Lt. Alexander (M4socom@aol.com), August 18, 2004.

Thank you for your input, Mr. Alexander.

-- The Penis in the Rye (astralretro@yahoo.com), August 19, 2004.

Pull the dildo out of your ass already you dumb fuck.

-- Rye needs a helping handjob (rye@youranidiot.com), August 21, 2004.

Yeah, yeah, that's some great shit you got there. Go play somewhere else, kid.

-- The PeePee in the ReeRee (astralretro@yahoo.com), August 21, 2004.

im a european citizen...can i chill ther if hr 163 happens?

-- wtvr (anonymous@....com), September 30, 2004.