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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 19, 2004 Alert: persons 18-26 be wary By Carola Lacy Ashland Despite words to the contrary, over the past several months the present administration has been quietly putting a draft in place. On Jan. 3, 2003, six representatives (Mr. Rangel, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Abercrombie) introduced HB 163 called the "Universal National Service Act." The Senate bill is S 89. Like Vietnam, this war is unwinnable, but the administration is determined to go ahead with it. If Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and a permanent state of war on terrorism proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to reinstate the draft. Draft legislation is in Rumsfeld's office, and is being held prior to going to Congress. The draft could come as early as spring 2005, and its provisions are more far-reaching than during the Vietnam era. If this bill passes, it will include all men and all women between the ages of 18-26 in a draft for military action. In addition, college and going to Canada will no longer be options for avoiding conscription. The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions, and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide. Daniel Ellsberg, who exposed the Vietnam fiasco with the release of the Pentagon Papers in August 1971, asserted on Sept. 24, the draft is a definite probability. A call to action: 1. To read the whole bill go to Web site http://thomas.loc.gov/. Enter in "HT 163," click search, and it will bring up the bill, six pages. 2. Call, write, or e-mail your representative now to vote against the draft before it comes up in the spring. 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. 3. Contact your paper, TV stations, and radio stations to ask why they are not reporting this story about the draft. Give them the web site for HR 163, and ask them to report on it now. We all have, or know men and women between the ages of 18 and 26. This is a critical piece of legislation that will affect our children, our undergraduates, and our grandchildren. Spread the word. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams