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GENDER EQUALITY

Should Women Have to Register for the Draft?

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Screenshot, Private Benjamin / Image: filmweb.pl

Now that women are officially allowed to serve in combat, will all women have to register for the draft?

Men between 18 and 25 are still required to register with the Selective Service, to be drafted in the event of World War III or some other horrifying event. Legal experts are now considering whether women should register too, and many think the answer is yes.

"The legal argument is clear," said Prof. Anne Coughlin of the U. Virginia School of Law. "If it comes to that kind of wrenching emergency where we have to press young people into service, there is no legal justification for saying that men alone need to shoulder that burden."

"My belief is that if we open up combat arms to women, even on a voluntary basis, if there is a draft, we should be able to force women into those positions," retired Col. Peter Mansoor, prof of military history at the Ohio State U, told the Christian Science Monitor.

Via the Christian Science Monitor.
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With women now allowed in combat, should they have to register for the draft?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • stepped_in_it
    !
    @texas_cutie75 Hey, pimk camo is cute on you gals! And, from what I'm told, dove/deer etc are color blind. Hamid the camel jockey isn't.....But thumps up for pink camo....
  • jessejaymes
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    Absolutely. I have been arguing this for decades. Equality means equality. Women in Israel serve just like men and do so without fanfare or visible difference. This is a no brainer.
  • Rocker
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    Here's a new one from MSM today: US Service women have seen a rise in unintended pregnancies. And it gave me to wonder - does that come under combat pay, hazardous duty, or what? It takes 2 ya know.
  • View all 25 replies >
  • Real4WheelDrv
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    Absolutely, you don't get to cherry pick what PARTS of equality apply to you. However, I can see perhaps similar to family hardship exemptions that if for example a mom and dad were both drafted, the mom would be allowed to stay behind because of the traditional role as nurturer.
  • u
    RobertJHarsh
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    Equality = equal opportunities. Every man in the country had to register for the selective service and women should have to do the same.
  • o
    WattheTyler
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    Yes.

    And the best way to end the illegal wars overseas is if we bring back the draft. When the kids of rich upper class people have to go off for corporate interest and die instead of the poor than these wars will end the next day when the sons and daughters of these rich upper class people are coming home in body bags.
  • stepped_in_it
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    That didn't work in the last draft (60-70's). They just find exemptions, be it college or medical and the poor went to war! Talk to someone around 60 about 'nam and the draft, it'll open your eyes.....and no, they won't fix that. Money talks...BS goes to war!
  • u
    Raptor
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    Bring back the draft, absolutely not.The idea to bring back the draft because our foreign policy is misguided, you say rich upper class people have to go off and die instead of the poor, it will never happen. Were do you think we got all of our chicken hawks at, they would just buy their way out of it or get it deferred for yale or harvard or get a desk job or go off to Canada just like in the vietnam conflict.

    Look at how they cried becauce they have to pay a little more in tax's, no my friend the draft is not a good idea.
  • o
    WattheTyler
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    @Raptor Hmm maybe you are right. Ok how about we send all of the neo-cons and the Israel first bible thumpers and give them a gun and send them off to the 6 or 7 illegal wars are currently waging across the world.
  • DogLady_1
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    wow, that would be a heavy and pricey way to teach people a lesson... I don't wish death and war on any kid, not even rich kids.
  • View all 9 replies >
  • Thegrif
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    See what happens? DAMN, some women out there push to be considered equal, to be on the front line. Now because of those few, now all women must sign up to put theirselves in harms way. This is crap!
    See, I know women could handle it, hell I got a wife and 3 daughters, I know they are smart, stubborn, and thick headed enough. But I tell you men ain't ready to see women tortures and/or killed.
    Hey men, we ain't got much left before women realize they don't need us for much.
    2 men in an argument, and 1 man says, "I'm goin to go get my wife to kick your butt."
    Or
    Kids in school saying, "my mom can beat up your mom."

    One minute I am hearing we are cutting the size of our military, next there is talk of women signing up for the draft and being allowed on the front line.
    What the Hell?
  • Tralee
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    @Keyjo Actually, unfortunately considering the misogyny of our likely enemy, women would be 100% more vulnerable to rape and maiming than men would be. It's apparently SOP for an Islamist to rape any female they capture. Even with broken bones and vast injuries Jessica Lynch was raped. I have a feeling that most men would break quicker if that was presented to them. Personally, no matter how fit, I don't feel that women need to be in combat positions. Oh, I'm sure any one of us could do the deed if needed, but upper body strength is a must and men are just built differently and have more. There really is a difference between men and women when it comes to strength on average. Brains are a different matter and we are all equal there.
  • MarkJM
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    They want to be equal, this is a price for being treated as such. I'm all for women serving in combat roles if they so choose to, absolutely. But they can't have it both ways. If they want to serve in combat roles, then they should be made to register for the selective service when they turn 18.
  • texas_cutie75
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    I served one enlistment. I never wanted to be in combat, never even tried. I was assigned to a burn unit and cared for burn and amputee patients. I saw the horror coming back home. I wonder what these women, that so desperately want to go into combat, will think once they get that opportunity?
  • texas_cutie75
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    @stepped_in_it
    Thee consequences for war are harsh....Hollywood glamorizes it, I think that's why peoples perceptions are skewed!
  • FollowTheMoney
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    @texas_cutie75 "think that's why"... I'm sure of it. Media drives pop-culture and Americans don't like to see the ugly side of life. Americans love to eat hamburgers, but no one want's to kill the cow. Hamburgers sell...killing cows doesn't.
    Do you remember the article the other day reporting suicide rates of service members? These kids are going in to service disillusioned, because they've grown up being spoon feed pop-cultures version of the world. This version is void of the facts of life and they suffer a major culture culture shock as a result.
  • Keyjo
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    I was a Marine. Initially, about half the males couldn't pass the minimum either. But after two weeks of intense training almost all could. After a month, all could or they were shipped out to the "fat boy platoon" for extreme physical training. In the end, everyone could pass.
  • jessejaymes
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    @Keyjo I'm with Keyo on this one. Some women would attempt to join the Marines and fight. And some would pass the physical requirements. Women are not your fathers wives today. (or Oldsmobile) .You'd be surprised what some intense physical training can do for people. I knew a guy years ago who washed out of Seal training (as about 90% do) but that guy was a freaking physical specimen as a result. He may not have been Seal quality but he was ahead of anyone else I knew.
  • u
    BelinKS
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    @jessejaymes
    I agree. Years ago my then husband said I couldn't pass their PT test. I said he couldn't make it through one of my advanced step aerobics classes. Even with the weight training i did. Wager made. They allowed me to take the PT test with the rest of the guys. I beat 2/3 of them and came in neck and neck with my husband. So he had to take the step class. About half way through his legs were so tired, hurting and burning that he kept tripping on the step and the instructor told him he had done all he could do and didn't want him to injure himself. She excused him from the class. He's a Col. Now. But he will have always lost that bet.
  • Keyjo
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    @BelinKS
    Good story. Thanks for sharing.
    People often don't realize how different muscles come into play with various tasks. This why cross training is wise.
  • stepped_in_it
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    Reasoning that correlates a draft to a "population explosion"? If a draft is ever re-instituted, we will be at a real war (not these small scrimmages). And if (Allah forbid <joke>) that ever happens, you will find it very hard to shoot from the shoulder AND the hip at the same time!
  • u
    ctc
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    @stepped_in_it Some men with a high draft number used to go to Canada....Women could just go to a bar.....need more reasoning??
  • stepped_in_it
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    The need for a draft is gone! The days of million man armies and trench warfare are history. Besides, how we gonna "trim" the military budget if we have a bunch of men (and now women) sitting around a base?
  • Food4thoughts
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    The draft wouldn't work in this day and age anyways... Everybody is either a convicted felon, in college, ilegally residing or already in the military :-/
  • Keyjo
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    The draft has been abolished. But in case of a dire National Defense situation, it is necessary to have the option to reinstate it.
  • View all 9 replies >
  • u
    max-parrish
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    Being drafted doesn't necessarily mean front line if physically limited. There is the whole support system that needs to be maintained (e.g. motor pool, medical, maintaince)
  • o
    NTBFW
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    I don't want the draft to come back but it WOULD do a lot of these little self absorbed spoiled brats a lot of good to spend the summer after they graduate in basic training. I wish it was mandatory that every senior had complete basic training.
  • John_Matrix
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    Sounds like a dumb idea to me. Maybe if parents would get off there ass and do some parenting we wouldn't have as much of a problem. I went into boot camp with a lot of idiots and they were still idiot assholes when we were finished. Boot camp can't fix as much as people think.
  • rkinsawjoe
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    The only good reason I see for a draft would be that it would make Americans less gung ho for war. It's a lot easier to support military action when someone else is doing the bleeding.
  • u
    Buckfan4life2
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    NO! Believe it or not liberals we still have REAL LADIES left in this country that has some values and don't think they are men. Iam not knocking our fine women in are military and have my deepest respect but just because some woman choose that as a career shouldn't be forced on all. Thats the problem with you liberals you,were born in a country with morals,tradition and values and tried to change everyone else in to what YOU think the country should be like and when we resist WE are the evil ones. I care less how you people live but don't force you're lifestyle on me. I sure don't want my pressious little girl being forced to go to war. You people bitch about freedom and want to take others away. Just wait in see when we get in another conflict like Viet Nam and the body bags of women come rolling off the planes and watch and see how long this will last.
  • Keyjo
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    Are you saying you would want your precious little boy being forced to go to war?
    I doubt any loving parent wants to see his child going to war, be it daughter or son.
  • jessejaymes
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    So what you're saying is it's Ok for poor people's sons to die for Haliburton profits in Iraq but not their daughters? Sounds a little sexist to me.
  • u
    Buckfan4life2
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    @Keyjo Now did I say that?? This is what I love about you liberals, always twisting the words around in another direction. If this is her choice when she gets out of school,then I guess that what she will do. I might not like it, but wouldn't or couldn't stop her. The point I was trying to get across before everyone twisted it around is the answer to the question "Should Women Have to Register for the Draft? I said NO! No need for the draft today and don't even know why this question was ask. Probably because that game you liberals love to play, I think its called "Start shit"
  • hwyangel
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    @Buckfan4life2

    Dogs and wild animals are very attracted to menstrual blood, and I don't think I will try to explain the limitations of being "top heavy".
    Do women in combat were bras? And if men have to get crew cuts will women have to get them too? And will the men be required to turn around when a lady has to pee?
  • View all 15 replies >
  • Keyjo
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    I will add that even before women were approved for combat duty, I have felt that in all fairness to men, women should also be required to register for the Selective Service. Over the many past decades, millions of women have served with distinction in medical, intelligence, logistical roles, to name only a few.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    Better yet, make no one register for the draft. No one has been drafted since the early 1970's, and yet we continue to pay for a bureaucracy to maintain it. How long will the government spend money for nothing until we actually have mandatory conscription? How long would it take to crank up draft boards if we stopped registering people and had an national emergency that required another draft? Everyone receives a social security number at birth these days, so all citizens are already registered in that database. Wouldn't closing down an unused draft registration system be a good place for cuts to government spending that everyone says is necessary?
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