Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday, “Given where we are today, with women in the military performing virtually all kinds of functions, I personally think it would be appropriate for them to register (for the draft) just like men do,” according to the Portland Press Herald.
The Obama administration has opened all avenues for women to pursue positions in the military, the House and Senate Armed Services committees are actively backing the idea of women participating in draft measures in their new defense policy bill.
“Backing” or “endorsing” does not allow for such a controversial issue to be shoved under the rug of broader legislature.
House Republicans are strongly arguing against this laissez faire version of the law and saying the new defense authorization bill clearly lacks appropriate dialogue concerning this contentious issue.
Essentially, when the bill is debated on the floor next week, there will be no room for argument against women and the draft, because the language isn’t listed in the physical bill.
Although I am a woman and I will openly admit I don’t want anything to do with a draft, fictional or not, this isn’t a personal problem. It’s a judicial one. When contested issues are slyly scooted around in the House and Senate, something needs to be done about it.
Conscription in the United States has had a long-standing historical impact.
It has been issued by the government in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Cold War — including Korea and Vietnam.
According to the Selective Service System, its mission is “...to furnish manpower to the Defense Department during a national emergency, to manage alternative service for men classified as conscientious objectors, and to register, with only a few exceptions, all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants residing in the United States who are ages 18 through 25.”
I understand how this system is extremely gender biased. But the idea of a draft is antiquated. We have a perfect, well-oiled volunteer-based military system. If a true, die-hard national emergency occurred, there would be no time to enforce or draft those individuals in the system. Instead, those who are willing to fight will fight, and that’s that.
The site also reads, “Register: It’s what a man’s got to do. It’s Quick, it’s easy, it’s the Law.” The entire idea of conscription is manly. It’s a patriarchal obligation that doesn’t stand in today’s society.
Instead of forcing women to sign up for something that is not going to be employed, the Senate Armed Services should adapt to the times by disbanding the draft entirely.
Mitch McConnell stated, “I don’t anticipate going back to the draft. The professional voluntary Army has been very successful. We’re talking here about registration for Selective Service, should we ever go back to a draft.”
Even McConnell admits the possibility of a draft in the future is so slim, signing up is essentially pointless.
The draft is synonymous to a white crayon, so let’s get rid of it.
jlkarl@umail.iu.edu
@jkarl26
