Do You Feel A Draft?

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Sep 29, 2004 9:32PM

Chicagoist received a mass e-mail message this past week with the subject line "Mandatory Draft" followed by a number of, depending on your position, exciting or menacing exclamation points. The e-mail mentions companion bills H.R. 163 and S 82. The titles of both these bills contain the text "...to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons 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."

The e-mail explains lays out a basic outline of what the bills and mentions that "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." What they mean by administration isn't exactly clear. We assume they're referring to Bush & Co., but the thing is, both of these bills are sponsored by democrats. While the Senate bill has no co-sponsors, the House bill has 14--all democrats.

The bill defines "young people" as a person who has "attained the age of 18 and has not attained the age of 26." And this includes women. Plus, get this, there's no exemption for Illinois residents. So BOO-YA! THAT'S what it has to do with Chicago. Plus one of H.R. 163's co-sponsors is Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL).

Both bills were introduced to their respective legislative bodies on January 7, 2003, and aside from being referred to committees, not much has been done since. However in October 2003, the Selective Service did begin to resuscitate the draft boards with a campaign to fill vacant spots. So it seems that there's not much to worry about as both presidential candidates have said they won't re-institute a draft.

Chicagoist still hopes Jim Lehrer sticks it to 'em tomorrow on this issue, or, rather, that officials from both campaigns negotiated and scripted a scene in which "Jim Lehrer" asks "George W. Bush" and "John Kerry" about the draft and these two bills in Congress. Thanks, Sam!