There's a Defense funding bill being considered by the Senate in the next few days. It has a lot of controversial provisions. For example, it limits the size of the staff of the National Security Adviser to the president. The reason for that limit is to stop the National Security Adviser from trying to go around the Pentagon and the Defense Department to send directives to the military (as has been the unfortunate case as of late.) There's also a provision that bars transfer of certain of the current Guantanamo inmates. President Obama so dislikes the limit on releasing these terrorists from Guantanamo that he has threatened a veto. So what is it that Washington's big time Conservative think tank is worried about in this bill? The Heritage Foundation wants the bill defeated because it requires women to register for the draft alongside men. Many people don't realize it, but when the draft was suspended about 40 years ago, the selective service registration system was kept in place. Men were required to register when they turned 18. They weren't drafted; that would require an act of Congress to reinstate the draft. They were just on file, a registration that meant that in the event a draft were needed, the names were already there.
This year, there was a move in Congress to have women also register for the draft. The geniuses in Congress decided that this would be another way to show equality without actually doing anything to change the military. Women would have to register at 18 and then not be drafted just like men. A draft would still require a future act of Congress.
Now this part of the bill is best described as a silly waste of money. Does it really make sense to spend millions each year to register all these people when we know we are not about to draft them? NO. But does it hurt anyone if both women and men have to make the meaningless move of registration? NO.
The Heritage group, however, says that this provision will force women to fight in the army and that is wrong and must be defeated, even if it means defeat for the whole national defense funding bill.
It's safe to say that this group is brain dead. There are so many things that happen in Washington that are worth fighting; this, however, is not one.
This year, there was a move in Congress to have women also register for the draft. The geniuses in Congress decided that this would be another way to show equality without actually doing anything to change the military. Women would have to register at 18 and then not be drafted just like men. A draft would still require a future act of Congress.
Now this part of the bill is best described as a silly waste of money. Does it really make sense to spend millions each year to register all these people when we know we are not about to draft them? NO. But does it hurt anyone if both women and men have to make the meaningless move of registration? NO.
The Heritage group, however, says that this provision will force women to fight in the army and that is wrong and must be defeated, even if it means defeat for the whole national defense funding bill.
It's safe to say that this group is brain dead. There are so many things that happen in Washington that are worth fighting; this, however, is not one.
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