Should Women Have to Enlist for Draft?

[OTH man]

we had a big debate about this today at school: in drama of all classes. (i'm hoping your picking up the debate//drama thing)

anyways: If women want equal rights and the ability to vote, shouldn't they have to enlist in case we start the draft up?

I say yes. My teacher said no. (it was mainly us going back and fourth) She said "Women have kids to take care of" i said "Men can kids too, but they don't matter?" she said "No but thats just more a womans thing" and i said "so what? if i say voting is more a mans thing, we should take the right away from women?" ect. ect. ect.

[Heather]

Well, I think thats an interesting point. If women can serve in the front lines, why cant they be drafted?

After all, equality does mean equal.

[Jon]

I wrote an article for my HS newspaper on this topic. I wrote that women should have to fill out the SSS form just like men when they turn 18. My history teacher scoffed at me when she read the article. However, it was entered in a citywide competition and I won for best opinion piece of the year....so, maybe it would work?

[OTH man]

wow, good job, jon

im glad people agree with me, it was really pissing me off it was pretty much me and my good friend vs. the class/teacher

[Heather]

I hate it when teachers use the classroom as a pulpit. :mad:

[OTH man]

yeah, i totally think more people were on our side and they were afraid of getting on her bad side, but if she wants to debate, im game

[Jim Colyer]

When I was in the Army, my girl friend was 17. She was much stronger than I. She lifted me on her shoulders. She should've been drafted, not me.

[Ashlyn]

I think selective service should be done away with completely, but, yes, if there were a draft, I would think women should be drafted as well as men. I'm all for complete equality.

[Jon]

I don't think Selective Service should be done away with for the fact that you never know when we may need the draft. It's easy to say it now when we have the numbers in the armed forces, but if say WW III happened, and we needed more troops. Until this world has no problems in it, we can't erase the SSS. (meaning never since we all know there will ALWAYS be problems.)

[Ashlyn]

I understand that reasoning, but I do believe that if there is a good enough cause, there will be people standing up to fight for it. If there are not enough soliders, there is not enough of a cause.

I don't think our government should have the power to force people (men or women) into situations in which they'd be forced to kill. The lack of the draft, I believe, is one of the few things keeping protests in this age peaceful.

[Kari]

Probably they should...but then I think actually obligation to serve is rubbish anyways.

[Faith]

If drafting happens, it should be for both genders

However, I'm completely against it. My friend Morie is being drafted into the Israeli army currently, and I don't see why this is the case. It actually makes me really, really angry - the government has no right to dictate who is put into danger and who isn't, and if anyone can look at past wars and thinks conscription is a good idea?... it baffles me. Someone should choose to fight for their country, or be left to it. What if you are against war???

But yeah, OTHman, if it applies to one it should both

[Heather]

Morie's going into the army? :(

I dont like the idea of a draft at all, either. I think service should be voluntary, like it is now.

[Faith]

She's waiting to hear the status as to whether she definately has to go or not, but it isn't looking good :(

Bastard government

[Heather]

I dont like the idea that every citizen must join the army when they reach a certain age.

And I remember when her brother's had to enlist. It just never occured to me that she would have to one day, too.

[Faith]

I know, it's ridiculous, isn't it?

Her brother is coming to the UK soon but she can't leave the country until this is sorted :(

I offered to marry her so she doesn't have to do it but I don't think those laws work there :lol:

[Kari]

I hate that people are forced to go to the military.
In Germany it is obligatory, but you can chose between a year of civil service and the army.

[Faith]

It makes me laugh when people that dont volunteer (I can never spell that word) for the army say they support conscription

[BellaBlack]

I also don't think there should be a draft, but if there is I am up for women going too. I don't know why it was never like that..?? Or why they haven't changed it..?? I'm guessing because when it was started it was in an era where it wasn't possible...atleast in their minds back then for Vietnam.

[zealousheart]

I agree with Bella I think a draft is a bad idea. It hurts a lot of families who need their children there for reasons unbeknownest to the drafters and it hurts a lot of people who have to go against their values when fighting for the army. A drafted army is not a good army because there will never be the best morale. However if there has to be I do believe that it is fair for women to be drafted too, there is no reason they wouldn't be.

[BellaBlack]

Well, I believe a person can't be drafted if it's for religious reasons or they are going to college. Not 100% sure though.

[zealousheart]

Someone was looking it up the other day and I believe it's changed. "College students can receive postponements until the end of the term, or of the year for seniors." It used to be until they graduated. Also they changed it so that the son of a military officer can now be drafted unless he's the only son.

[Webeh]

I say yes. My teacher said no. (it was mainly us going back and fourth) She said "Women have kids to take care of" i said "Men can kids too, but they don't matter?" she said "No but thats just more a womans thing" and i said "so what? if i say voting is more a mans thing, we should take the right away from women?" ect. ect. ect.]

Yowza. I've had teachers like that in high school too.

I still remember this one English teacher we had. She's very bluntly said that women weren't supposed to have careers. (Hypocrite, anyone? ;) ) Rather, they're supposed to stay home and have kids/cook meals. Then, I thought that this woman shouldn't be a teacher. Especially considering that she was at an all girl's school. *shakes head.

I understand that reasoning, but I do believe that if there is a good enough cause, there will be people standing up to fight for it.

I think so too. If there was another WW (which I really hope there isn't), I optimistically believe that a lot of people would find a way to help their country. Although, I can imagine things getting very complicated in the more ethnically diverse countries. (This was quite clear during the World Cup last summer.)

[oclover24]

I have to agree that if the draft is reinstated, women should have to enlist. And I also agree that women should have to fill out the SSS form as well.

I want equality in all arenas.

I hope the draft isn't reinstated, but if it is, then women should be included as well.

[Faith]

Well, I believe a person can't be drafted if it's for religious reasons or they are going to college. Not 100% sure though.

My friend could only get out of it if she lied, and said she was religious, or if she married

[Heather]

Personally, I have never been a suppporter of conscription. I prefer a military that is voluntary, and think thats how it should be. In Vietnam, the last time the US had a draft, the soldiers were poorly trained, and the fight wasnt theirs. I always felt that was part of the atrocity that was Vietnam.

Now, we have a volunteer army. Soldiers who are passionate about what they are doing, and are proud of what they do. They are highly intelligent, educated, well trained and dedicated. Thats what makes a good military, passion for what you are doing.

I dont think most people realize the intense training that these soldiers go through before they are deployed. As a matter course, all soldiers go through Basic, then AIT, based on what they're MOS is. But before they are deployed, they go through an extensive two month training on what they will be doing during their deployment, how to handle situations, and how to survive.

That didnt happen during Vietnam. Back then, they went through Basic, and it was "Hello, Miss Saigon."

[*Ashlee*]

I also believe it should be voluntary BUT if its going to be required of men, then it should be required of women. They do fight for equal rights and that should apply to all areas, not just those they feel benefit them

[Heather]

I also believe it should be voluntary BUT if its going to be required of men, then it should be required of women. They do fight for equal rights and that should apply to all areas, not just those they feel benefit them
Well said, Ashlee. Equality means equal in everything, and that means the bad, as well as the good.

[*Ashlee*]

Its terrible really. This could start a whole feminist debate though! weeee!! :)

I just dont see how someone who agrees in equality can have the rationality that men should go to war and women should stay home and deal with the house/children. Men are just as capable in the home and women in the battle field.

If its voluntary and women chose to stay home, then that is different because it also means the men are chosing to go but when it comes down to "have to's" it should be equal

[olivetree]

I'm gonna put my 2 cents in...

If there was a draft, I'd be first in line...if they'd take me. I've always wanted to join the Navy (my parents are very against it), so if they'd take me I'd be there. In a heartbeat.

[zealousheart]

I'm the opposite ^^^^ because I'd be terrified to go to any war, and I'd probably be horrible at it- I'm a girly girl and not athletic. However I still think it's right that women and men have equality in all aspects. You can't just pick and choose the issues you want to support. Women being drafted IS an issue of feminine equality and so I'll always support a draft of women along with men if there must be a draft at all.

[oclover24]

^ I would never want to fight in a war either, but I support the women and men that do choose to fight for our country.

[zealousheart]

Same here. They're incredibly brave and incredibly patriotic. And they do so much for our country, they sacrifice so much. An issue that irks me though (don't ask me how I got from there to here) is that people who don't support the war in Iraq or don't support President Bush (which I don't really) are labeled as unpatriotic or not supporting the troops. I think to oppose the war is to support the troops because we don't want them to be in making sacrifices for something unimportant- not that I do think the war is unimportant persay. Have you seen the troops recently on 60 minutes? They talk about how they are fighting and reenlisting but they still believe the war is not a place where we need to be sacrificing troops.

Sorry to get so OT.

[oclover24]

^ I get what you're saying! I support the troops, but I don't like that we're over there.

Even if you don't support the war, you should support the troops anyway, IMO.

[zealousheart]

Exactly. Not that we should necessarily pull out now, just that we shouldn't have gone in the first place, but that's another issue.

Of course, if anyone doesn't support the troops IMO they're just...crazy, I don't mean to offend anyone. However the people out there are just that...people and they have no involvement in anything polictical they're there sacrificing time with families, friends, and possibly lives for our country and that's such an admirable thing to do.