Repeal the U.S. Military Selective Service Act

PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT: World BEYOND War, RootsAction.org, On Earth Peace, Stop Recruiting Kids Campaign,

The U.S. government is going to either expand draft registration to young women (signing them up to be forced against their will to kill and die) in the name of “equal rights,” or it is going to end this outdated barbarism of forcing people into wars. A federal district court has ruled that male-only draft registration is unconstitutional. Contrary to popular myth a draft does not decrease the chances or duration or extent of wars. Learn more at the Background links below.

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The legislation we support would:

  1. Repeal the Military Selective Service Act (thereby eliminating Presidential authority to order men to register with the Selective Service System for a possible military draft and eliminating criminal penalties for failure or refusal to register);
  2. Abolish the Selective Service System (thereby ending contingency planning by the SSS for the Health Care Personnel Delivery System or any other form of special-skills draft);
  3. Prohibit all other Federal agencies from imposing civil sanctions (denial of federal student financial aid, federally-funded jobs, etc.) for nonregistration or using nonregistration as a basis for other adverse determinations (denial of naturalization as a U.S. citizen, etc.);
  4. “Preempt” (and thereby override and prohibit) all state sanctions for nonregistration (denial of drivers’ licenses, state financial aid, state jobs, etc.); and
  5. Preserve the rights of conscientious objectors under other laws and regulations (such as applicants for reassignment to noncombatant duties or discharge from the military on the basis of conscientious objection).

The United States had an active draft from 1940 to 1973 (except for one year between 1947 and 1948). It also had numerous wars including in Korea and Vietnam. The Vietnam War not only persisted for many years during the draft, killing far more people than any U.S. war since, but also continued for two years after the draft ended. And the only reason the war could continue was because the military had a steady stream of draftees.

Wars have usually been facilitated by a draft, not prevented. The drafts in the U.S. civil war (both sides), the two world wars, and the war on Korea did not end those wars, despite being much larger and in some cases fairer than the draft during the U.S. war on Vietnam.

On April 24, 2019, the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service heard testimony from Major General John R. Evans, Jr., Commanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command; Mr. James Stewart, Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness); and Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, Vice Director of Logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They all testified that the Selective Service System was important for insuring and enabling their war-making plans. Stewart said that enacting a draft would show national resolve in support of war-making efforts. John Polowczyk said, “I think that gives us some ability to plan.”

Read: 14 Points Against Draft Registration by Leah Bolger

Are you 17 and facing threats from the U.S. federal government regarding stiff penalties if you fail to register for the draft?

Here’s what you do.

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Background:

David Swanson: HR 6415: The Dumbest Idea in Congress

WBW: Statement to the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service

Edward Hasbrouck: Bill Introduced to End Draft Registration

Congress.gov: H.R. 2509

Congress.gov: S. 1139

Center on Conscience & War, Code Pink, Committee on Militarism and the Draft, Courage to Resist, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, Resisters.info, Veterans For Peace, War Resisters League, World BEYOND War: It’s Time to End U.S. Draft Registration Once and for All

Bill Galvin and Maria Santelli, Center on Conscience & War: It is time to abolish draft registration and restore full rights to people of conscience

David Swanson: Draft Registration Will Be Either Ended or Imposed on Women

David Swanson: How to Oppose the Draft for Women and Not Be Sexist

David Swanson: 10 Reasons Why Ending the Draft Helps End War

C.J. Hinke: The Last Draft Dodger: We Still Won’t Go

Rivera Sun: It’s Time. End the Draft Once and for All

Rivera Sun: Women’s Draft? Sign Me Up To Abolish War

Video of David Swanon (at 1:06:40) and Dan Ellsberg (at 1:25:40) on Why to End Draft Registration

@worldbeyondwar Will the #US expand draft registration to #women? Click on our profile link to demand the repeal of the #military selective service act! #feminism ♬ suono originale – World BEYOND War

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