I find myself in a difficult situation on the issue of military conscription. It appears that I agree with George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld but disagree with Black Commentator, Charles Rangel and John Conyers. It is very uncomfortable position, to say the least.

The cause of my discomfort is advocacy of a return to military conscription, the draft. Congress members Rangel, Conyers and others opposed to the war in Iraq correctly make the case that the burden of military service is currently undertaken by too few Americans. The white upper classes are nowhere to be found in the ranks of the military. Of the 535 members of the United States House and Senate only one has a child on active duty in the military. Most members of the military today are white and working class, with disproportionate numbers of blacks and Hispanics. Many non-citizens are joining the military as a means of gaining citizenship.

Those in favor of reinstating the draft argue that doing so would restrain militarism. If those serving represented a larger cross section of the public there would be less likelihood for military adventurism. They make the case that the draft helped to end the Vietnam War. As the conflict dragged on and more Americans were at risk of being conscripted, fewer people were willing to send their sons to die in a protracted and unpopular war.

I appreciate the concerns about shared sacrifice and keeping empire craving neocons under control. But much of the problem with this rosy scenario is the fact that everyone did not participate equally when we still had a draft. History is replete with cases of the well-heeled escaping military duty while the poor and working class had no way out. The Draft Riots of 1863 in New York City were caused in part by resentful draftees angry that the wealthy could actually pay for someone else to replace them in the ranks. Of course, misplaced anger at black people and pro-Confederate sympathies also played a role in creating that home-grown terror.

During the Vietnam War President George W. Bush used his father’s influence to get into an Air National Guard unit stationed in Texas, not the Mekong Delta. It was so heavily populated by the sons of the influential that it was known as a “champagne” unit. When the going got too tough, young George just didn’t bother to show up for his second year of duty.

The ability of some to get out of military service even in the days of the draft was so prevalent that one former military man wrote about it years after the conflict.

Secretary Powell seems to have issues with his boss just like the rest of us do. The history of Vietnam is filled with tales of  “chicken hawks,” right wing Republicans who somehow managed to slip through at a time when the burden was allegedly shared by everyone. The most egregious members of the chicken hawk hall of shame reads as follows:

The Army has to resort to using hummers, rap and other trappings of hip-hop bad taste to get young people to come anywhere near a military recruiter. The Army will begin a Campus Combat Tour to make itself more popular with the young and the hip. Of course anyone who wishes to should serve, but there should be no mistake about the military and its purpose, which is to make war. Millions of black Americans have profited from military service, but many others have not faired well. Shoshana Johnson is one such person. Johnson, unlike her more famous battalion mate and fellow POW Jessica Lynch, was injured by gunfire in Iraq. She was shot in both ankles and continues to recuperate physically and emotionally after her discharge. What is her thanks from Uncle Sam?  Johnson’s disability pay will be $600 per month, less than half of  the $1,500 per month given to Jessica Lynch, who thanks to a $1 million book deal doesn’t need her disability payment anyway.

The effort to restore the draft would be an uphill battle for public support and have questionable value. The better way to fight militarism is just to fight it. Democrats must tell the truth about the Iraq war. The war was supported by those who want to establish a permanent military presence in that region and in so doing control the supply of oil. They are also not opposed to making money for their friends at Bechtel and Halliburton.

Politicians can’t allow themselves to be taken in by phony appeals to “support the troops” and “stay the course.” Fortunately the folly of Iraq is becoming more evident every day. We will not need to support the draft to make the case to disengage from this situation. We will only need to speak up and tell the truth.

Margaret Kinberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in ..  Ms. Kimberley is a freelance writer living in New York City.  She can be reached via e-Mail at [email protected]. You can read more of Ms. Kimberley's writings at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com/