If you are drafted, will you go?

[VotefurKerry]

I would.

My dad was drafted for Vietnam and showed up at the train. By some luck his name wasn't on the list to ship out and they told him to go home.

If he didn't avoid the draft in a war he didn't support, I won't either.

I am 24.

[Skittles]

1. I already served

nt

[TahitiNut]

39. Yup. Drafted. Went. As bad as it was, coming back was worse.

:shrug:

[wuushew]

2. You would be fighting an unjust unprovoked war

If you refuse to go then they will have to draft someone else who could likewise refuse to go as well...ad nauseum. Resisting the draft is another form of protest to unjust policies.

[VotefurKerry]

3. Maybe so

but I could never live with myself for running away.

Or could they just throw you in jail?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

4. What would have happened if the german soldiers had said no to Hitler?

[VotefurKerry]

6. The NAZI Party had it's own militant wing

They had their own "army"

[SemiCharmedQuark]

9. What about all those old germans that say "I was just doing my duty"

The Nazis could not have gone as far as it did with only those who believed what they were saying fighting their war.

[VotefurKerry]

12. Would they shoot you in the back if you didn't do your job?

I don't know if the Nazi's used forced conscrpition

Fight or die.....

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. Yes, fight or die. This country says "fight or prison"

[VotefurKerry]

16. Okay

I might take prison.

[Hobarticus]

23. The Germans relied on conscription when the tide turned against them

and they needed the manpower.

Nazi Germany was in a fight for its life. The Nazis had Germany convinced (and it turns out they were true) that Russia would destroy and divide their country if they lost, and they had to fight. It wasn't Nazi fanaticism that drove most Germans to fight until the very end, it was mere will to survive or buy themselves some time.

The US can walk away from Iraq and still remain the US. We're not in a fight for our national identity and borders here.

[JVS]

30. The Germans have always and still do rely on conscription

as does most of Europe.

To say that they needed it when the tide turned against them is not entirely accurate.

[Hobarticus]

34. Correct. Conscription was re-introduced...

The point is, comparing conscription in Germany and the US isn't entirely accurate either. The circumstances are vastly different.

[JVS]

36. Yeah, definitely. WWII was definitely a bigger deal

Much bigger consequences

[Hobarticus]

38. Zactly.

[lumpy]

46. Yeah they had their own army alright

made up of common German citizens who had no choice. Bu the time Germany was in defeat there were kids as young as 13 drafted into the Nazi's "own army".

[jwirr]

13. I would not feel so

quilty simply because I am a German. I and my daughters have both told my two grandsons that we will drive them to Canada. We are prefectly willing to die for our country but not for oil.

[bobbieinok]

29. there's is evidence that if Catholic church had condemned Hitler's wars,

50+ % Catholics would have refused to fight

[bluestateguy]

5. I have a life, I have a body and neither belongs to the government

Much less to an unelected fraud who resides in the people's White House where Al Gore should be today.

I will never, repeat, never, put my life on the line to fight any war initiated by a phony president who only seeks to make other rich white men much richer. A fraud who thinks nothing of lying the nation into war forever forfeits the moral authority to ever again take the nation to war.

I am most likely a little bit to old to be drafted, but serve under this president? Never, never, NEVER, NEVER, EVER!

[VotefurKerry]

8. What about if Kerry is prez?

What if Bush got us in a hole so bad Kerry has no choice but to bring back the draft?

Unlikely but........

[bluestateguy]

10. Then we'll see

But I would never, ever fight I war I opposed.

[Gyre]

7. I would think twice

about potentially dying for nothing. We are doing nothing in Iraq but trying to keep Iraqi oil flowing out of the country so we can have: 1)cheap gas, 2) a springboard to attack Syria and Iran (so we can have cheap gas). Not that Iran or Syria present any kind of threat to the U.S., and they wouldn't pose a threat to Israel if IT had acted in good faith once with the Palestinians during the last 30 years.

Obviously, you'll do what you want. But suffering, and possibly dying for America's thirst for petrochemicals isn't my idea of a worthy cause particularly when you're commander in chief is a malignant dope.

Good luck to all of us.

Gyre

[rwenos]

11. They Bloody Well Can Throw You In Jail

Remember Cassius Clay? Changed his name to Muhammed Ali, refused to be inducted into the Army, lost two years of his career, servign a prison sentence for draft dodging?

I carried a 1-A draft card through the year 1972. Scared, but I had a plan, one I passed on to my nephew last month:

If it looks like there's going to be a draft, explore every opportunity you can to (1) join the National Guard (like, duh!); (2) join the Coast Guard; (2) join the Navy; (3) join the Air Force.

All honorable options which will not screw up your life, will give you many advantages in later life (vet home loans, educational benefits, life experience) and will not consign you to an M-16 and a foxhole.

Just a thought. Make the military work FOR you, if you gotta go.

[VotefurKerry]

14. Good ideas

This is all hypothetical but it does make for a dilemma, at least for me.

Knowing that if I don't go, someone else will go in my place.

Sucks.

[wuushew]

22. Why?.. if that person does not resist then they are more motivated

hence a better solider. Is every draftee likely to become a Sergeant York? I think not.

[Zhade]

42. Not honorable to bomb innocents from 10,000 feet.

NT!

[ninainsf]

17. Hell no

Why should I pay for the government's stupid decisions? Let the republicans sign up since they're so gung ho military.

[VotefurKerry]

20. Most of the military is Republican

But when a draft hits, they will draft the poor folks and minorities first.

[ninainsf]

31. I know, I saw f9/11 too

It's really unfortunate. But you know what I say about that? GO OUT AND VOTE! Unfortunately, Americans need to experience much pain before they learn anything. Pain in THEIR lifetime that is, history does not count.

[JVS]

18. No fucking way. I have other priorities.

:-)

[TheDebbieDee]

25. Hey, if that's good for the goose (known as Cheney).............

then it should be good for you, too.

[JVS]

33. That's what I'm saying. I've put in too much effort into life for that

Also, I already saw some family friends bury their soldier son and I am not going to let my parents be put through that.

[Scooter24]

19. I am 24 about to turn 25.

I figure by the time the draft does roll around, I'll be too old. My father has been very vocal for me to not even consider enlisting. He served in Vietnam as well.

I couldn't physically keep up with the standards pressed in Basic. I would just lay there on the ground. Plus I am under doctors order to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and heat. :P

Plus being gay, it just opens up a whole other can of worms.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. I would have fought in Afghanistan but no way in Iraq

[lanparty]

24. I would NEVER submit to command under the chimp!!!!

Canada all the way!!!!

Hey, just ask the SAME question over at the freeper board. Of course, they "believe" in the war, they should have enlisted already!!!!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

26. I never knew Iraq had so many computers with internet access

Thousands and thousands to judge by Freeperville and Yahoo.

[marlakay]

27. I am worried they will draft my daughters 22 & 26

The older one has two small children and I heard they won't care if its women & or with kids. That scares me. My older one has kids and my younger one is the prissy makeup does her nails, loves to shop type. I just can't see her with a gun. The mere thought is horrible to me.

[jmags]

28. I am 23 and in all honesty

if Kerry is president, yes. If Bush is president, no.

With Kerry in charge, I'd know that despite the fact that the situation may have already gone FUBAR, at least the people in charge are interested in doing it right.

With Bush, I'd know I'm only making things worse, so I couldn't contribute.

[DerekG]

52. Nonsense

Does it matter who sends you into a cauldron to murder poor people?

Are you saying you would have served under Johnson, but not Nixon?

[MattNC]

32. i probably would

but can't say for sure

[Delarage]

35. Hell no!

I'm not going to guard some driver for Halliburton or some pipeline that I don't give a rat's ass about. Fuck that.

[kurtyboy]

37. Back in 1980, I said to my Mom....

"If Reagan gets elected, I might have to consider going to Canada to avoid the draft." I was 18 years old.

She replied, "If you do, don't ever expect to be welcome in this family again." Dad was Korean War vet--a draftee--and he had strong feelings that my mother was relaying without judgement.

I voluntarily visited the recruiter three months later, went through delayed-enlistment, and seven months later, I was in basic training at Lackland AFB--Happy Valley for those who've been there.

I look back on it as both a mistake and a good decision. The experience I got from six years in uniform was invaluable, and I have to say, it gave me a successful career. ON the other hand, I've never forgiven myself for compromising my principles.

I now tell young men and women that uniformed duty it just that, a mixed bag---they must follow their hearts and hope for the best. But I hope every day that they'll never be forced to face a draft--it just wouldn't be fair.

Kurt

[Zhade]

40. FUCK NO - and I'd help others dodge.

No way will I die for corporate profits.

[Hobarticus]

41. A new Underground Railroad? FUCK YES!

Imagine, a network of people getting young people out of the country.

[nickgutierrez]

43. Not this war, no

I'd rather go to prison than serve in Iraq.

[Wright Patman]

44. Don't worry

There is enough cannon fodder just in the Deep South who will go if drafted. The people in the "thinking" part of the country can and will resist. But the endless war will go on until we are either financially bankrupt as a nation or militarily destroyed by a coalition of the offended civilized countries of the world.

Of course, the madmen in the White House will destroy them back as their final act, so life as we know it on this planet will be over and the actual cockroaches will take over from the ones in human form who started this descent into the Dark Ages.

[deadparrot]

45. I'm a 17 year old female (will be 18 in February)

My chances may be slim, but my father has already said he'll buy me a plane ticket "to wherever the hell they can't get you."

Besides, I'm a wussy. The miltary wouldn't want me. :)

[Hobarticus]

47. My wife works with a girl your age...

She told my wife she won't vote.

She called me today and put her on the phone. She said she just didn't feel her vote counted, and that it really didn't affect her in any way.

That's grim. She's got the most to lose, and doesn't think her vote counts.

[deadparrot]

48. That's a shame. I hate it when people don't "get" the voting thing.

I would do anything to vote in November. Its a pet peeve of mine, when people waste their rights like this.

[SmileyBoy]

49. I wouldn't even survive the first week of basic.

The sergeants would just see me lying on the ground huffing and puffing, and say "Go home, soldier. You are dismissed."

In any case, I would be packing up all my things and head up Interstate 29 to Winnipeg if the situation ever arose.

[EnfantTerrible]

50. Absolutey NOT

n/t

[Cat Atomic]

51. Are you kidding?

I'm not joining the Texaco Militia.

[DerekG]

53. No, I am a Christian

I am 22 and will not murder for anyone, let alone a criminal government. And no, I'm not a stoic; I don't romanticize prison, but that's where I'll be going.

[sphincter]

54. Nope, Never and No......

Not in this lifetime because it would mean another solider, with another gun, firing another bullet, killing another solider, and another mother burying her son or daughter. War is just wrong.