Sources on women and the draft

Here are some resourceful sources on women and the draft. I have viewed some and will peruse them more later.

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/042263.htm
http://atheism.wpadmin.about.com/?comments_popup=42263

http://www.korean-war.com/Archives/2003/01/msg00042.html

Here is a whole bibliography of sources

http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/biblio/wic.asp

And a group discussing this topic.

http://groups.google.com/group/soc.men/browse_thread/thread/d1cfa80c729984c2/8afc01e5e1474cfa%238afc01e5e1474cfa

I hope these help and you are interested in the topic.

(A personal post will soon follow. Research is good, but if you know me, I know that is not why you are most likely checking my blog.)

Have a good evening!

Good morning...

As I continue to research the draft and work with my wonderful research partner Diarra, I am finding even more complexities inherent in the issue of drafting women. To be brief, whether or not women should be drafted to fill the role of combatants or whether they should be drafted to other roles of serving their country can be two different questions. (In the second case, the draft would be a completey different kind of draft that is currently being discussed.)

http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/woman/dialogue_opinion_letters/pns_draft_is_coming_0804.asp

This source discusses relatively current bills that would (or would have) reinstate the draft.

Opinions about women in the draft...

http://www.janelovestarzan.com/?p=492

The above blog gives a many personal responses to the proposal of drafting women. One thing I love about blogs is the honesty with which people speak. Even if theoretically someone agrees with a specific ideology, they can admit that practically they are opposed to it. Check out the blog to see what I mean.

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/wars/a/draft.htm

Here is a good article dealing with the recent history of draft bills and the general feelings held by government officials regarding the draft. The draft scare may very likely be a real tactic, but for what purpose? To make the people of America desire to pull out of Iraq?

More on the draft...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15805957/

This article brought several questions to my mind. First, why are more people not enlisting? Is it fear? I'm afraid that many Americans, myself included, enjoy the freedoms we have today while conveniently forgetting that a host of service men and women gave their very lives to provide us with these freedoms. We need to revisit Arlington National Cemetary and consider the honor and duty in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves and sacrificing our lives for them. (Galatians 5:14 NIV)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15805957/

This article shows the reaction of some individuals to the proposition of the reinstatement of the draft. Although it is written with a strong leaning, it nevertheless represents some schools of thought.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.393:

This is a link to Rep. Rangel's much discussed bill which was introduced January 10, but was soon rejected.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20070126&articleId=4599

Here is another link that provides a good amount of pertinent information.

If you have an opinion on this issue and would like to discuss it, I would welcome the conversation.

Women serving in the United States armed forces

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/11/20/draft-women-first/

http://kalynamstutz.blogspot.com/

As I have continued to research the draft and the possibility of women being a part of the draft, I am somewhat disheartened. In my family, which has an extensive history in the military, serving our country has been viewed with honor and abundant respect. As was made evident during the Vietnam and Korean Wars, not everyone shares the sentiment.

I hope that serving in the military does not lose all of that. We should respect and honor our soldiers and we be willing to serve as we are needed in the defense of our great country. For some that means private enterprise, for others that means entering politics, for others that means voting, for others that means teaching, for others that means preaching, for others that means serving in the military, and for all believers in the true God it means lifting up our nation, citizens, leaders, and soldiers to God in prayer. There are many different ways one can serve his/her country. We must each seek to find our place and fill that position with honor.

Women in the draft

I am considering some very serious issues. Namely, in the case that the draft is reinstated, should women be included in the draft? If not, why not?

At http://www.charmaineyoest.com/2005/05/the_politics_of_the_draft.php I found people who believe that it is morally wrong for women to be required to serve in the military, particularly in combat. Charmaine Yoest believes that the first move toward drafting women would be to allow them to serve in combat. One individual who posted on the article said that women (including his daughter) are already serving in combat, as situations arise that were not necessarily expected. As the article expressed, the issue of women in the draft is important, because, although we do not currently have an active draft, the day may come when it is implemented.

We must consider this issue now, before we are in a situation where our stance is no longer important because the decision has already been made.

Discourse on my philosophy of blogging

My opinion of the value of blogging has changed over the last few weeks. Because I dislike reading on a computer screen, I thought that blogging was not for me. I was wrong. Blogging is actually quite valuable and has a lot of potential benefits. First, it helps me with invention (the rhetorical meaning of the word, that is). When I begin to put my thoughts into words and write them down or type them into my computer, I begin to think more about a subject. New ideas seem to grow directly out of other ideas. (This could be considered the elocutionary aspect of blogging.) Having my thoughts recorded and preserved for future review and remembrance is very helpful when I desire to know what I was thinking or feeling at a certain time or in a particular situation. Writing out my thoughts also helps me to analyze them better and to see the soundness or faultiness of my own reasoning.

Blogging is useful in this class for many reasons. First, it presents us, the students, with the opportunity to share our thoughts with each other without interruption. We are able to say what we believe and then receive feedback from others. Having the benefit of reading someone else's blog before discussing a topic with them allows the reader the benefit of understand the other students thinking before attempting to engage in conversation. The outcome of this thinking is more productive conversations and a better understand of the other persons position.

Blogging is extensively useful beyond this class. I personally am just beginning to understand this. Blogging allows us (students and bloggers) to actively participate in an on-line community where we can use our intellects and connect to other serious minded individuals. We have important things to say and opinions worthy of being shared. In 1 Timothy 4:12, we are told "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Blogging is a part of speech and is a way in which we can present our views and arguments regarding specific issues. With this in mind, we must be careful that what we say in our blogs does not misrepresent or dishonor Christ.

(As a side note, I see blogging as a way in which someone, a stay-at-home mom or confined individual, can continue to be actively involved in the intellectual world instead of allowing themselves to become isolated and disconnected from the serious discourses taking place.)

Blogging fits into a Christian worldview by allowing Christians to interact with people they likely would never had an opportunity to interact with in the absence of blogging. This interaction has the potential of bringing individuals to a saving relationship with Christ and to bring God glory in intellectual circles. This can be one means of implementing a Christian worldview. As Dr. Olson has pointed out, we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel. All the world includes cyberspace. It is an avenue by which Christians can and should share Christ and a Christian worldview with others.

Blogging is something that I am still figuring out. It provides a place to openly share my thoughts in a format that is understandable and clear (hopefully) to those who are interested. It is also a way to become involved in shaping and forming our dynamic culture and bring sound logic and Christian thinking into the often considered "secular realms." As is apparent by this entry, my opinion about blogs and and the role that they will play in my life is still developing. It is an area that I need to pray about and seriously consider.

All of this being said, I bid you good evening and farewell.