Uncle Sam wants you ... to stop lying about the draft.
Over the past month or so, President Bush has been subject to both subtle implication and outright accusation that he is planning to reinstate the military draft if he is reelected.
Mind you, a handful of Democratic politicians, suspicious chain e-mails and left-wing pundits are making these accusations. Even a few of ASU's home-grown political masterminds joined in, taking the liberty of defacing last week's pro-Bush sidewalk chalk slogans with their own warnings of the supposedly imminent draft.
Problem is, these charges are all absolutely false.
In his time in office, Bush has not only made no push to re instate the draft, but he has vehemently denied several times that he would do so -- even as recently as last week's debate.
The only legislation proposing compulsory military service for youths was introduced in both the House and the Senate by Rep. Charles Rangel and Sen. Ernest Hollings, respectively. Both men are Democrats, and when the draft bill was voted on this week, only Democrats voted for it.
The bills, both proposed last year, were never intended to succeed, of course; Hollings and Rangel (who did even not vote for his own legislation) wrote identical bills to make a political point. It's somewhere along the lines of the "Fahrenheit 9/11"-style mantra that rich white soldiers don't serve or die in equal proportion to poor minority soldiers.
"For those who say the poor fight better," Rangel blustered last January, "I say give the rich a chance."
Brilliant, congressman. Speaking as a rich white kid who's headed off for the Army this January, I'll try extra hard to get killed if it will make you happy. Meanwhile, the risks and the benefits of serving in the U.S. military are still available to anybody who can pass muster -- regardless of race, income, religion, etc.
There are certainly good arguments for the draft's return: It helps instill a sense of national responsibility and pride. But our all-volunteer Armed Forces are more than up to the task of anything short of a land war in Asia. And that ain't gonna happen.
The truly disgusting aspect of all this draft talk is that when liberals try to frighten young voters (not to mention their parents) into voting against Bush, saying he'd force them into military service, these same accusers point to draft legislation currently sitting in Congress.
Legislation that is written, sponsored and now voted for exclusively by Democrats.
I don't mean to sound like one of those wishy-washy "this is the nastiest campaign ever" hand-wringers. And granted, there has never been a time in national politics when everyone was nice and civil with each other. (Alexander Hamilton's political opponent shot him for goodness' sake.) But honestly, this is a new low.
This is a clear-cut case of Democrats introducing baloney legislation to Congress and then blaming that same legislation on their Republicans opponents. This is beyond the pale. Any liberals -- from presidential aspirants to campus organizers -- who help perpetuate this malicious lie ought to be ashamed of themselves for their gross and deliberate fearmongering.
Reinstating the draft is political suicide for any party, so don't start packing for Canada just yet. The only draft blowing through the country right now is the rank smell of the left's dirty politics.
Eric Spratling is a public relations senior. Draft him an email at eric.spratling@asu.edu. Read his blog online at asuwebdevil.com.
