Women, it may be time to put away your stilettos, wedges, and pumps, and lace up your combat boots! The United States Senate has voted that young women are now eligible and required to register for the draft. Now, before your stomach drops at the possibility of being forced to fight for your country, realize that the House has yet to pass the bill.
In December, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter opened all combat jobs to women and since then, some military officials have taken the stance that women should be included in the draft. Then comes in into play California Republican Duncan Hunter who introduces this amendment during the House Armed Services Committee’s review of the 2017 National Defense Authorization. Not knowing much about this man, my first thought was something along the lines of, “This guy is pretty cool for recognizing women have the same of capability as men.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, I could not have been more wrong. Hunter has voiced his opinion that women should not be allowed in combat and even voted against his own proposal. So, why did he do it in the first place? It was a dare. (Yeah, you read that right.) He assumed that faced with the reality of what it truly means to be equal, his adversaries would quiver in fear and draw back their weapons, but then, they did the exact opposite and charged. So now, here we are discussing the possibility of women registering in the draft.
The Senate approved the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act on June 14, 2016. This policy includes an amendment that states on January 01, 2018, all 18-year-old women will be forced to register for the United State’s Selective Service and the military draft. If they fail to register, their student financial aid can be taken away. (That’s right…where would all us college students be without our precious financial aid?) In order for the House to agree on passing the bill, in May, they nixed the amendment that requires women in the draft. Since then, I have not even found one reliable source that states whether or not the bill has passed in the House-- with or without the amendment. However, there is a lot more to this bill than I can even begin to cover in one Odyssey post and as it looks right now, President Obama may even put his foot down and veto it for a few reasons, but the draft being one of them has not been discussed.
The draft has not been used since the Vietnam War, but it still does not change the severity of the vote. The truth is that no one wants their son or daughter to be forced to fight. We cannot change the fact men are required to register in the draft, but the idea that women could be seen as capable as men in combat is exhilarating. I am not exactly thrilled that I or young girls across the country could possibly be called to war, but I am ready for this change. If this bill does not pass, I am okay with that because it could keep the young ladies of our country a little safer. If this bill is passed, then I am okay with that as well because it could show that our country believes that women can defend our soil just as well as a man can.
I do not know what the right answer is, but I pray that our government officials vote and consider this amendment with clarity, without the pretenses of politics, and with a multitude of prayers.
