Recently, I turned 18, as many Park seniors did or will. Aside from the obvious becoming an adult and being able to vote, it’s not all that different from being 17. We had to register to vote, convert our financial accounts into adult ones and get adult driver’s licenses. There’s one more thing: we had to register for selective service.
Selective service is exactly what it sounds like. You have to register to be selected for military service. It’s just the legal jargon for the draft. Every male in the United States of America 18 or above must register for the draft, regardless of whether or not they are suitable for military service. It doesn’t matter if you have a mental or physical disability, you still register if you’re a male. In recent years gender equality has been a complicated and pressing issue in policy and practice. There is a lot of back and forth over how such things should be implemented, and what is and isn’t fair and equal. However, I think that it seems reasonable that equality includes responsibilities as well as privileges.
I think that all citizens of the United States of America should be required to register for selective service regardless of gender. The United States military has been accepting female recruits for decades, and they are just as capable as their male counterparts. Thus, I see no reason to keep them out of the draft. The draft exists in the first place so the country can quickly call up an army if need be, so broadening the pool of recruits seems to be a net positive from a national security standpoint. In this day and age, where people fight for equal rights, I think it’s hypocritical to say that selective service shouldn’t be included. If someone were to make the argument that the average female is not suited for military service, there are other things they could do. This all assumes that the statement that women aren’t suited for military service by draft is true, which seems unlikely. However, there are plenty of jobs in the armed forces that aren’t soldiers. There is army staff, support personnel and a mountain of other jobs that would need to be filled that are non-combatant in nature, so the argument that women aren’t suited is a moot point. They don’t have to be, there are still things they can do.
As far as changes this would bring for Park students, they are inconsequential in commitment, but potentially massive in effect. Signing up takes ten minutes tops, and it does not affect your life unless there is a draft. The last time there was a draft was during the Cold War, and with the current state of warfare, there is unlikely to be one in the foreseeable future. It feels like a pointless commitment that you just make and forget about. It likely won’t result in any change to your life, but it’s not about performance, it’s about the principle. Simply taking on this responsibility would hopefully encourage all Park students, including women, to think more about their contribution to society. This could lead to increased social activism, volunteering and civic responsibility. These are all net positives, and they aren’t very hard either, so equality in this way will elevate all of society as well. Even if this change doesn’t come to pass, Park can still encourage students to take civic responsibility and be contributing members of society. Currently, women cannot sign up for selective service, meaning all women in the United States armed forces join up of their own volition. However, many women are still pushing for an amendment to selective service so everyone is required to register. Doing so would give women more presence, power and authority in the military, and all U.S. citizens have a right to a say in the organizations that protect them.
Personally, I look around at my peers and see plenty of girls far smarter and more responsible than I am. Defending the country in case of war is a pretty big responsibility, and I think they deserve to have a say in it. More importantly, I want everyone my age to sign up like it’s a sign of being an adult. That level of commitment, even if it likely won’t have any effect on one’s life, shows readiness to be a legal adult. Also, I believe in fairness, and I think it’s only fair that girls sign up for selective service just like boys. It may seem petty, but if society wants to talk the talk, then they have to walk the walk.
We live in a modern society with modern ideals. Equality is the name of the game, and there is a new cause to rally under every other week. While a bit tiring to keep track of it all, I agree it is a necessary thing. Because of this, I think it is only right for every member of our society to have some skin in the game and sign up for selective service.
