Vote based on facts

There are a couple things that can be extracted from Dr. Arnold Shuster's letter in the Sept. 28th edition of the Indiana Daily Student. However, they are not what the writer intended. The first is the liberal Democrats will stop at nothing to misrepresent facts to scare groups into voting for them that they could not otherwise convince. The second is having a Ph.D does not make you immune from intellectual dishonesty.\nThere are many misrepresentations and omissions in this letter, but let's start with the one thing Dr. Shuster actually gets correct. It is correct there is pending legislation (S89 and HR163) to institute a draft. The fact is these bills were introduced by Democrats, Sen. Fritz Hollings and Representative Charles Rangel, to scare the young people into thinking the president wants them to be drafted. Nothing is farther from the truth. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is quoted as saying, "There is absolutely no need for the United States of America to go back to the draft. In my judgment, it would be a big mistake." The president has also openly echoed these sentiments. The truth is an all-volunteer force is most desirable for combat. There is also no need to force people to serve. The Army can increase its incentives and benefits to attract more volunteers.\nAlso, Dr Shuster, have you never had a civics lesson? Dr. Shuster wants us all to assume just because this is proposed legislation it will immediately become law. Not quite. Both of these bills have not made it out of committee, and if they ever came up for a vote they would be voted down thanks to Republican majorities in Congress. Even if it passed, we know from the Administration's statements that President Bush would veto the bill.\nIt is important young people vote, but we must make informed decisions. Whenever someone tells you something that scares you but they don't have much evidence to back up the claim, investigate on your own. Make your vote based on facts, not urban legends.