Speech or Letter Currently There Is a

¶ … Speech or Letter Currently there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of the reinstatement of the draft in the United States. There are rumors and whispers rampantly floating through the media that are frightening the general public, while the officials who are actually in the know about the subject are categorically denying such intentions. In an article written just a few days ago the Coastal Post (with no byline) contends that a military and civilian draft is inevitable by spring 2005.

(Coastal Post Online (http://www.coastalpost.com/04/07/01.htm) The title of the article in and of itself is inflammatory "Military and Civilian Draft Expected in 2005 For 18- to 25-year-olds." The article goes on to state that there are two pending bills in the House and Senate (twin bills: S. 89 and HR 163) meaning Senate bill 89 and House of Representatives bill 163.

The article states that those two bills, "will time the initiation of a military and civilian service draft which will allow the program to begin as early as Spring 2005-just after the 2004 presidential election." The language of the article gives the impression that the "legislation" will become law, even though nearly countless pieces of legislation transverse the house and senate every legislative term that have little support and never become law.

The article also states that the Bush administration is "quietly" trying to get these bills passed, a tactic that leaves the Bush administration with no viable response.

If the response from the administration is "No we are not trying to get these bills passed," then obviously they are in denial and if they say, "Yes, we are changing our whole historical perspective on the voluntary military service and we are now in favor of this legislation," then they aren't being very quit are they? The next peace of evidence mentioned by the unknown author of this article is that the Selective Service System (SSS for short like the Nazi SS) has had a budget increase of 28$ million dollars in this fiscal year.

Though 28$ million dollars may seem like a lot of money to the average person, in the context of governmental service budgets it is a drop in the bucket. A 28$ million dollar budget increase for a federally funded and national program could be absorbed into one or two computer hardware and software upgrades and a few cost of living raises for the staff.

Not to mention that between 1998, at the onset of the ability to register online, and June 11th 2001 one million men registered for the Selective Service online alone, those are staggering numbers when compared to the fiscal needs of the program. The next bit of evidence offered by the unknown author is the fact that the SSS must report to Bush (who may or may not be in office in 2005, but since he is the enemy and we are trying to scare people we will say he is) on March 31, 2005.

This may seem like fishy information when given out of context yet the truth is that the Selective Service System has an annual report to congress, which the president has a part in, and that falls due in March 2004, just as it does every year.

The article then moves on to quote Secretary Rumsfield, one of the experts most often asked it there is any foreseen need for a draft, (who always says absolutely not) as describing the present military situation as, "a "long hard slog" and then claims that several unnamed members of congress and unnamed military "experts" believe a draft will be inevitable. (Coastal Post Online (http://www.coastalpost.com/04/07/01.htm) Clearly these are inflammatory, words considering the present reality of the Bush Administrations hard line on voluntary service.

The article also mentions the recent recall of retired servicemen back to active status, which if looked at from another angle is an attempt to avoid a draft rather than enforce one. One of the last bits of evidence offered by the unknown author is associated with the language of the proposed (and historically unsupported unpopular) legislation, "Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and.