Punkvoter.com to Congress: Tell the Truth about Reinstating the Draft and Who Really Fight

Punkvoter.com to Congress: Tell the Truth about Reinstating the Draft and Who Is Really Fighting the War in Iraq

10/6/2004 9:19:00 AM

To: National and Assignment Desks, Daybook Editor, Political Reporter

Contact: Scott Goodstein of Punkvoter.com, 202-518-8332 or 202-256-8320 (cell)

News Advisory:

Punkvoter.com to Congress: Tell the Truth about Reinstating the Draft and Who Is Really Fighting the War in Iraq

WHO: Punkvoter's Anti-Flag, Rep. Jim McDermott, and co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War Michael Hoffman

WHERE: Nation Nightclub, 1015 Half Street, SE Washington, DC -- A few blocks south of our Nation's Capitol.

WHEN: 1 p.m. Today, Oct. 6

WHY: 'Cause it is time that DC hears from the kids who have to go and fight their wars.

Punkvoter.com released the following statement today:

No matter how unpopular, tell the American people who is really going to fight the war. Young people will not let the issue of the draft or the facts that young people are dying everyday be forgotten. We call on Punk Voters everywhere to take action and call Congress today.

Congress brought up the draft yesterday to play politics and tried to silence our voice about the simple question of who is going to continue to fight their war. This issue was brought up only a month before the election for pure political reasons instead of a serious discussion on the issue. It was obvious why the right-wing leadership is trying to kill rumors of the draft. But we know the reality, there already is a draft going on in the US and members of Congress's kids are not fighting this war. Poor, minorities and our nation's reserve officers our fighting this war.

Write Congress and ask them to end The Poverty Draft, The Backdoor Draft, and The Education Draft. And then ask them where they are going to get the bodies to fight their war.

The Poverty Draft -- 45 million Americans are without healthcare and being drafted to fight their wars is not the answer.

The Backdoor Draft -- Thousands of our nation's reserves our being forced to serve longer than they ever signed up for and put their family in major hardships ... and being drafted to fight their wars is not the answer.

The Education Draft -- Education costs have risen 29 percent in the last three years, No Child Left Behind has not been fully funded, and Pell Grant funding has been forced kids to not be able to go to college ... and being drafted to fight their wars is not the answer.

Punkvoter will not let this issue go away because a few members in Congress are trying to ignore the facts. It does not take a mathematical genius to realize which kids are dying for their war and will soon need to be replaced -- since we have no exit strategy and no other countries are getting involved in our war. Punkvoter.com knows that draft legislation fear is as real as the hand-to-hand combat that exists today in Iraq as long as we have no exit plan. Tell Congress to stop playing politics -- and if they are going to talk about the draft -- they need to tell young Americans who will really be drafted to fight their war and why.