Petition to end the Draft (Selective Service System) in the United States

We, the undersigned, strongly object to the Selective Service System (SSS; www.sss.gov) in the United States of America. Since 1980, every male aged 18 to 26 has had to register with the SSS, at many times against his will. We believe that such a blatant disregard for ones rights constitutes a form of slavery.

During the Vietnam War, young men were forced by threat of imprisonment to report for duty in the United States Military. Many of these young men had no idea why the United States was at war and did not care to participate in a foreign affair. As a result, 58,148 men from the United States died. We believe that when the government holds the power to force people to fight against their will, lives begin to become a "renewable resource" for the government. Similar to our governments budget, when there is an unlimited supply of something, usage becomes irresponsible.

We believe that the draft compromises the privacy of young men who register. These registrants have their personal and private information distributed to dozens of federal, state and local government agencies -- including the IRS, INS, DMV and Departments of Education and Defense -- without their consent and, often, without their knowledge.

Seven states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Alabama and Utah) currently require young men to register in order to obtain (or renew) their driver's licenses, and 23 other states are currently considering such legislation.

The penalties for refusing to fight if drafted, and for going AWOL, are miniscule compared to those for failing to register. Selective Service is more concerned with getting you on the government's "mailing list" than with preparing for some future war.

We also firmly believe that the draft is not necessary for a successful military. The 100\% volunteer army that the United States currently has is the most powerful in the world. A 1993 report from the Pentagon to the President concluded "...it is highly unlikely that we will have to reinstate the draft in the foreseeable future... [P]eacetime draft registration could be suspended without irreparable damage to national security.

We, the undersigned, hereby ask our honorable members of Congress that HR 1597, introduced by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) be passed without fail. Furthermore, we ask that you cosponsor Rep. Pauls bill.

As Rep. Paul said in the House of Representatives: "Conscription is not part of the American dream. It is not part of the American philosophy. It is not part of liberty. It is a totalitarian notion. Congress has the authority to raise an army, but it does not have the constitutional authority to enslave a certain group to bear the brunt of the fighting. A society that cherishes liberty will easily find volunteer defenders if it is attacked. A free society that cannot find those willing to defend itself without coercion cannot survive, and probably does not deserve to."

And in the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan: "[T]he most fundamental objection to draft registration is moral... a draft or draft registration destroys the very values that our society is committed to defending."

This issue is a very important one for us. We will not forget the actions of our representatives when Election Day rolls around. We hereby ask for your support of liberty, freedom, and the American dream, so that we will once again be "The Land of the Free".