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Anti-Draft / Counter Recruitment Resources In response to the announcements we sent out regarding the set up of a new list serve to oppose the draft, I have been urged “not to reinvent the wheel” by several people. There is no intention of doing that. Indeed we are aware of the historic role played by some groups that have been around for decades in supporting GI’s rights, conscientious objection and anti-draft work. Hopefully newcomers and veterans of this effort can work together to oppose the draft . The Committee to End the Occupation of Iraq provides perspective on how the continuing war and occupation has brought back a form of draft already in not allowing GIs who have served their terms to exit the services. Our youth outreach will particularly focus on promoting discussions on the US occupation of and war upon Iraq through our Give the Youth the Truth campaign. We believe by learning the realities of the US occupation, youth will be best informed to reject enlistment. Critical to work against the draft is to politically confront those who are promoting the draft, like Rep. Charles Rangel and several members of the Congressional Black Caucus – as well as many within the peace movement – as somehow being progressive and part of an anti-war strategy. Whether or not Rangel’s bill is successful, it is doing severe damage by contributing to the potential neutralization of the anti-war movement’s would-be opposition to the draft. Thus anti-draft work should pose challenge to Rangel, Hollings and the following co-sponsors of the Rangel bill: Rep Abercrombie, Neil - 1/7/2003 [HI-1], Rep Brown, Corrine - 1/28/2003 [FL-3], Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy - 1/28/2003 [MO-1], Rep Conyers, John, Jr. - 1/7/2003 [MI-14], Rep Cummings, Elijah E. - 1/28/2003 [MD-7], Rep Hastings, Alcee L. - 1/28/2003 [FL-23], Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila - 1/28/2003 [TX-18], Rep Lewis, John - 1/7/2003 [GA-5], Rep McDermott, Jim - 1/7/2003 [WA-7], Rep Moran, James P. - 1/28/2003 [VA-8], Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 1/28/2003 [DC], Rep Stark, Fortney Pete - 1/7/2003 [CA-13], Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. - 1/28/2003 [NY-12] Challenge should be
posed also to those anti-war groups and leaders who are silent on the otherwise
liberal congress members who are backing this insidious effort and who are
tacitly or explicitly supporting the Rangel draft bill. Some links to groups offering draft counseling and otherwise opposing military recruitment and the draft. Additional links should be sent to bwitanek@igc.org . List serves: Center on Conscience
and War
www.nisbco.org Friends Youth Outreach: http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/ Committee Opposed to Militarism & The Draft: http://www.comdsd.org/ NJ Youth Groups: http://nowarnj.org/resources.htm#CAMPUSES Bergen Action Network (NJ) Opposes Recruitment Bergen Action Network Lisbeth West has a website http://www.duckdaotsu.org/gisitemap.html she has maintained around GI issues and the draft. See also http://www.duckdaotsu.org/resist.html and her home : http://www.duckdaotsu.org Alaskan anti-draft pledge: http://www.draftresistance.org Counter Recruitment:
http://www.youthandthemilitary.org GI Rights: Quaker statement about draft: "How and Why The Draft Will Return": http://quakerhouse.org/draft-return.htm
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