Conscription and the Military
|
Status Quo Option: Keep the Existing Plank. For all platform categories
we have the option of doing nothing; that is accepting what the LP already
has.
|
The LP Platform Currently Reads
The Issue: We oppose any form of national service,
including conscription into the military, a compulsory youth labor program,
or any other kind of coerced social program.
The Principle: Impressment of individuals into
the armed forces is involuntary servitude.
Solutions: Recognizing that registration is
the first step toward full conscription, we oppose all attempts at compulsory
registration of any person and all schemes for automatic registration through
government invasions of the privacy of school, motor vehicle, or other records.
We call for the abolition of the still-functioning elements of the Selective
Service System. We call for the destruction of all files in computer-readable
or hard-copy form compiled by the Selective Service System. We oppose adding
women to the pool of those eligible for and subject to the draft, not because
we think that as a rule women are unfit for combat, but because we believe
that this step enlarges the number of people subjected to government tyranny.
Transitional Action: We call for the immediate
and unconditional exoneration of all who have been accused or convicted of
draft evasion, desertion from the military in cases of conscription or fraud,
and other acts of resistance to such transgressions as imperialistic wars
and aggressive acts of the military. Members of the military should have
the same right to quit their jobs as other persons. We call for the
end of the Defense Department practice of discharging armed forces personnel
for homosexual conduct. We further call for retraction of all less-than-honorable
discharges previously assigned for such reasons and deletion of such information
from military personnel files. We recommend the repeal of the Uniform Code
of Military Justice and the recognition and equal protection of the rights
of armed forces members. This will thereby promote morale, dignity, and a
sense of justice within the military.
[If you think the current LP position on this subject is acceptable, then
vote "yes" below. If not, vote "no" below. Either way, please consider the
other options listed on the right sidebar and vote "yes" for all that you
like and "no" for all that you dislike. This is an approval vote; you get
to vote for all of the options that you like.]
3 Comments (This is also the place for general comments about this plank
vs. comments about particular proposals.)
Printer Friendly Version
Top of Page
|
