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Do You Have to Register for the Selective Service System Again

With contributions from Middle on Conscience & War

In 1917, the Selective Service Human action created a system that authorized a typhoon and required all men of a certain age to register through the Selective Service System. AFSC was founded that same year to give conscientious objectors an alternative to military machine service equally they faced the realities of a draft in World War I.

AFSC opposes requiring anyone, regardless of gender, to annals for the draft and to participate in systems of state of war. Notwithstanding, in July of this year, the Senate Military machine Committee voted to expand the registration requirement—and associated penalties— to women.

This is a footstep backward toward militarism that hurts u.s. all. Instead of expanding registration, the U.S. must end the Selective Service requirement for everyone.

Tell Congress: Terminate the Selective Service requirement for anybody!

Here's what you lot need to know:

one. Right now, all draft-age, male U.S. residents are required to register for the Selective Service.

The Selective Service system exists to collect information about people in the United States who could be forced to join the military in the case of a draft. The system allows the Department of Defense to rapidly increase the number of troops serving in the military if there aren't enough volunteers.

About men ages 18 to 25 who are U.South. citizens or residents are required to annals under this system, which collects information like the private's address, Social Security Number, and email.

The system also maintains a network of "typhoon boards." These are noncombatant groups who would be tasked with deciding if people go deferments or classifications like "conscientious objector" condition in the case of a draft. The draft itself would be administered by armed forces reservists, despite the Selective Service being ostensibly a civilian agency.

Draft counseling during the Vietnam War. Photo: AFSC Archives

2. People who don't annals with the Selective Service face up penalties.

Not registering for the Selective Service is a felony, and those who cull not to annals face up many penalties. These extrajudicial sanctions include non being able to become many federal or state jobs or trainings and some land student assistance (although federal student assistance programs are no longer restricted). It tin also cause a v-year filibuster for those seeking citizenship. In the worst case scenario, if someone were to be criminally bedevilled of not registering, they could exist fined up to $250,000 and sent to jail for up to five years—although this has not happened since the 1980s.

3. The Selective Service system is outdated and serves every bit a recruitment tool.

The United States has non drafted anyone since 1973, and the Selective Service organization, which costs taxpayers near $26 million a year, collects registration records that have been described as "less than useless" by Bernard Rostker, a former director of the agency.

Without an active typhoon, the Selective Service system has become a military recruitment tool—with recruiters oft targeting Black, Brown, and low-income communities.

 Bayard Rustin (center) spent two years in prison for his resistance to the draft. Photo: AFSC Archives

iv. Some legislators are trying to aggrandize the draft to women—and some are trying to end the organisation entirely.

In a recent defense policy neb, the Firm of Representatives voted to crave women to annals with the Selective Service. They added this provision to the National Defense Authorization Human action (NDAA), a bill that passes every yr to authorize defense-related activities. The Senate War machine Committee besides included this expansion in their own version of the NDAA. However, when the Business firm and Senate negotiated the final beak the Selective Service Organization expansion was stripped from the text!

The expansion was stopped for now, just ultimately we want to see an end to the arrangement overall. Fortunately, there are besides efforts in both the Firm and Senate to end the Selective Service system! Reps. Peter DeFazio and Rodney Davis, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Rand Paul, take introduced the Selective Service Repeal Deed in each bedroom (H.R. 2509 and S. 1139). This bipartisan effort would finish the Selective Service System, end the sanctions against those who don't register, observe new regime jobs for those working for the Selective Service, and preserve the rights of conscientious objectors.

five. Expanding the Selective Service Organization is not progress. It'southward a step back toward militarism.

Proponents of expanding Selective Service registration accept disguised the try as "feminism." In reality, the draft is a burden that has been unjustly placed on men for decades—and expanding the system to women is a wrong-headed approach in working toward equality. Instead of forcing more than people to participate in systems of war with threats of fines, prison, and other sanctions, Congress should end the system entirely.

Contact Congress today: Tell them to end Selective Service for everyone!

About the Writer

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Source: https://www.afsc.org/blogs/news-and-commentary/its-time-to-end-not-expand-selective-service-system

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