4 conversations Sun at grocery store in OK

[bobbieinok]

All were brief; all started with me asking if person had heard about a possible draft.

1-white male hi school student (cashier) - he knew about the draft and seemed a bit worried

2-male hi school student waiting, standing outside car - looked maybe Indian or Packistani - citizen, hi school student - I think he was bugged that older white lady was talking to him; I left it at 'don't believe me; look it up'

3-older white man getting into car - I asked if he had grandchildren and if he knew about the possibility of a draft - he said a draft would be a good thing; he fought for his country and would do it again; if you're not willing to fight for your country, you should leave - he said women didn't understand - (I assumed he was VN vet; some of what he said sounded like echoes from that time)

4-black hi school student who took cart to my car - he knew about draft, about torture pictures, about Cheney's 5 deferments and 'other priorities' comment

I think race, gender, age notes may be significant; I'm not sure.

This was the first time I discovered male hi school or college students who knew about the draft possibility since I first started asking random people about 2-3 weeks ago. Is the info getting out - even in OK?

[havocmom]

1. Leave no potential cannon fodder behind.

The high school kids may be getting hit on by military recruiters. Part of the LNCB legislation requires schools to give names and contact info on high schools juniors and seniors unless parents are proactive and jump through the red tape hoops to have their offspring's info remain confidential. That's right, privacy only for those who insist on it beforehand and everybody else gets sent to a data base for the DOD.

Anybody hear of instances of recruiters using scar tactics to get enlistees yet? I know it was done a lot during the Viet Nam era; "If you sign up now we can get you into...... and you will learn a trade instead of being an infantry grunt. If you wait and take your chances with the draft, well, you are going to the war..."

Doesn't surprise me the students know about the likelihood of a draft soon. They are probably hearing the above chorus already.

The older man, well, maybe he still has to believe he was fighting for something noble in the Nam era. I wish him well, but hope someday he sees that a nation should only ask combat of its troops if the cause is just and necessary. I do not feel the war in Viet Nam was either and I know the invasion of Iraq definately doesn't qualify as just or necessary.

We need leaders who understand war is hell and behave accordingly. We do not need jingoism and bullying on the world stage by people who have never concerned themselves with the wellbeing of others. Our young people deserve far better from their nation than to be spent foolishly in quest of empire for corporate giants. They are a national treasure and we need to assure they are treated as such. They do not belong to corporations who do not recognize national borders.

[beyurslf]

2. I tell all of my college age friends about it.

I also point out that college deferments are not definite. With so many in college now, they may be forced to do away with a deferment for that.