I try not to be this way but... kids these days. Kids are affraid of their FAFSA paperwork because it will sign them up for Selective Services

[RH | 5,429]

I just stumbled upon this article:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-draft-united-states-college-students-loan-fafsa-selective-service/

The reason why this bothers me a bit doesn't have anything to do with the current political environment.  It's that signing up for Selective Services is required, by law, for every male once they turn 18.  Full stop.  No question about it.  You could get fined.

When I was turned 18 (in 1999) everyone knew this and, in fact, the whole thing just seemed silly.  If there was to ever be a war where a draft was needed, they'd hunt everyone down and force them to sign it.  It almost made you wonder why it was even required because as soon as you file taxes or get your first W-2, the Social Security Agency could flag that you exist.

My point is, signing up for this isn't scary.  Yes, the idea of being a young adult going to war is, but this is required by law and everyone male citizen, as some point has been required to do this.  Who isn't aware of this, and more importantly, do kids this day ignore this and just not sign up for SS?  If not, then it goes to show how much the government/military isn't concerned about it now.  In the 90s, I remember even hearing reminders on the radio telling you to fill out the form just so you were fulfilling the law.

Like I said, I do get that the whole process is a bit silly in this modern era, but come on.  Why be affraid of this.  You and 150,000,000 other men have done this at some point in their lives?!

[fcgamer | 5,138]

Yeah I remember having to sign up. In today's world of equal rights though, I'm genuinely curious why women aren't also required to do this, or why they wouldn't be fighting to make it a requirement.

 

[RH | 5,429]

1 minute ago, fcgamer said:

Yeah I remember having to sign up. In today's world of equal rights though, I'm genuinely curious why women aren't also required to do this, or why they wouldn't be fighting to make it a requirement.

Nah, no one’s going to fight for the equal “right” to go to war like that, but something like this could bring that to attention and be an unintended consequence. 

[acromite53 | 338]

So reading the article, it seems like it's mainly a meme in reaction to the whole Iran thing. I doubt these kids are legitimately afraid of it. I turned 18 in 2015. The thing to be worried about then was the North Korean missile launches. But I never had issue or objection to registering. Yeah it's kind of ominous signing up for it, but that's just what you had to do. I don't know anyone that took issue with it. 

[Tulpa | 3,771]

Today's military force is an all volunteer group that is far better trained than any standing army we've had in the past. Registering with Selective Service is really a formality at this point. It's unlikely that we're going to re-institute the draft.

[acromite53 | 338]

Just now, Tulpa said:

Registering with Selective Service is really a formality at this point. It's unlikely that we're going to re-institute the draft.

Yep this is how I've always thought of it.

[Estil | 1,297]

Oh God that whole FAFSA was a nightmare...because I was still a dependent at the time (early 2000s), my father had to do it and send it for me...and I had to really get on him about being prompt about because you all know all those grants and such are strictly on a first come, first serve basis and I've never been the kind that likes to take any chances on things like that.

Has there been any significant changes in that sort of thing between then and today?  I might be among the last generation that had no choice but to get his ACT stores and admission letter to UK and the annual financial aid package the old fashioned way...snail mail.  I'm guessing nowadays you can get all three emailed or texted or something as soon as the results are in?

We've done just fine without the draft for almost 50 years and I honestly don't think it's right that people before then could be forced to fight.  This is why, in sharp contrast to Krapernick who only did his stunt because he was sure it'd make him a media/celeb darling, I have a great deal of respect for when Muhammad Ali chose to not allow himself to be drafted.  I mean it makes perfect sense that he would not want to fight in a war on behalf of (nearly all) white men whom some called him "n" against some Viet Cong who he famous said he had no quarrel with because they never called him "n".  He did this knowing full well that his decision would most definitely NOT be popular among the public/media (to say the least) and knew that he risked going to jail, being branded a coward/traitor, losing his title, and most devastatingly of all, losing precious prime years of his boxing career.

Of course it's easy for me to say all that now with 50 or so years of hindsight and being able to easily research this or any issue/event with easy clicks of a mouse.  Now, had I actually lived during that time when it was a current event and all over the news and such, would I feel the same way?  Maybe, maybe not.

[DoctorEncore | 3,693]

4 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Yeah I remember having to sign up. In today's world of equal rights though, I'm genuinely curious why women aren't also required to do this, or why they wouldn't be fighting to make it a requirement.

 

This has been discussed a lot in the last five years as we've inched closer to true equality, but there's not a lot of political capital to be gained by pushing for it. So it's mostly just idle chatter.

Now if a new draft was suddenly declared, I think it would need to be addressed.

[Tulpa | 3,771]

1 minute ago, DoctorEncore said:

 

Now if a new draft was suddenly declared, I think it would need to be addressed.

If a new draft is declared, it means something really went to shit in the world. Like, China or India went berserk and invaded everyone.

[Teh_Lurv | 254]

4 minutes ago, RH said:

Nah, no one’s going to fight for the equal “right” to go to war like that, but something like this could bring that to attention and be an unintended consequence. 

There are proponents for women to be included in Selective Service as a necessary step towards equal gender rights. The question is currently being battled in the courts: https://www.npr.org/2019/03/01/699481953/court-ruling-renews-debate-on-women-and-the-draft

9 minutes ago, acromite53 said:

So reading the article, it seems like it's mainly a meme in reaction to the whole Iran thing. I doubt these kids are legitimately afraid of it.

I think the CBS article is over-blowing it, but humor is a natural coping mechanism for things people fear and have no control over. The draft memes are way for people to relieve underlying anxieties about current events.

[Lincoln | 230]

Those of us who turned 18 in the late 90s or before didn't live in a post 9/11 world or have a leader openly threatening war crimes. I can understand how kids today with the information they have available would be anxious about the draft.

[Tulpa | 3,771]

9 minutes ago, Estil said:

Oh God that whole FAFSA was a nightmare...because I was still a dependent at the time (early 2000s), my father had to do it and send it for me...and I had to really get on him about being prompt about because you all know all those grants and such are strictly on a first come, first serve basis and I've never been the kind that likes to take any chances on things like that.

Has there been any significant changes in that sort of thing between then and today?  I might be among the last generation that had no choice but to get his ACT stores and admission letter to UK and the annual financial aid package the old fashioned way...snail mail.  I'm guessing nowadays you can get all three emailed or texted or something as soon as the results are in?

 

Yeah, it's pretty much all digital nowadays. They'll also mail it to you if you want it that way.

[Tabonga | 2,533]

11 minutes ago, Lincoln said:

Those of us who turned 18 in the late 90s or before didn't live in a post 9/11 world or have a leader openly threatening war crimes. I can understand how kids today with the information they have available would be anxious about the draft.

Heh - when I signed up for selective service there were no maybes about it - a free tour to Vietnam was a very real possiblity.  The current situation is meaningless in comparison IMHO.   Canada is still there for the  really paranoid.

[RH | 5,429]

Again, I reiterate the point. First, who doesn't know that you have to do this and being afraid of the draft or not, you're just signing a piece of paper just like everyone else that's past the 18th year of life milestone.

While on my lunch break I was thinking about the nonsense of having to sign the paper anyway.  I, like all of my friends, received the card in the mail within a week or so of becoming 18 and I'm 90% sure it came from the Department of Defense. This means that the DOD knew I was turning 18 and they even knew where I lived. So why did I need to sign the paper?  I didn't have a choice, and it's never been a choice.

Again, you can be anxious about the idea of being drafted (even though it will never happen again) but that's a different tactic.  Not signing that card isn't going to keep you out of a draft, but it will keep you from being find in the .01% chance there ever IS a draft.

[Estil | 1,297]

The draft will never happen.  Period.

[JamesRobot | 6,274]

No two ways about it.  It's compulsory regardless of the FAFSA.
The issue comes around every new year with the graduating class as kids talk about how you can be 18 and die for your country but you have to be 21 to drink a beer. Rabble rabble rabble.

[DefaultGen | 5,970]

Just sign up and dodge the draft that won't happen if you're that worried. Our own President did it and so would half of gen Z.

[Tulpa | 3,771]

12 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

The issue comes around every new year with the graduating class as kids talk about how you can be 18 and die for your country but you have to be 21 to drink a beer.

And now buy cigarettes.

[Gloves | 12,594]

Lol imagine having to wait until 21 to drink alcohol.

[RH | 5,429]

7 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

And now buy cigarettes.

You know, I always wondered if people all ready in the 18-20 year range or grand fathered in or, you know, on 12/31/2019 I can smoke a cigarette if I turned 18 in July but now that there's a new law in place, I have to wait another two and half years to legally pick up and smoke another pack!

[Estil | 1,297]

20 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

Just sign up and dodge the draft that won't happen if you're that worried. Our own President did it and so would half of gen Z.

And he didn't inhale!  

[Estil | 1,297]

Just now, RH said:

You know, I always wondered if people all ready in the 18-20 year range or grand fathered in or, you know, on 12/31/2019 I can smoke a cigarette if I turned 18 in July but now that there's a new law in place, I have to wait another two and half years to legally pick up and smoke another pack!

My wife who holds a master's in criminal justice did in fact question when I brought this up if this would pass constitutional muster as wouldn't it count as an ex post facto law because the current 18-20's all of a sudden without warning are suddenly cut off from buying tobacco?  Though if a grandfather clause of that sort was added that would be really confusing for clerks who must check IDs (I was one myself back in the day).

[RH | 5,429]

5 minutes ago, Estil said:

And he didn't inhale!  

Always reminds me of PCU.

Wait! Is that a young John Favarou?! I've not seen that movie in 20 years... to IMDB!

 

EDIT

It was!  Ha! And to think that'd guy would go on to make the cutest thing in the world, breaking the internet in 2019!

Edited January 7, 2020 by RH

[Estil | 1,297]

11 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Lol imagine having to wait until 21 to drink alcohol.

Not like it really ever stopped anyone.  I mean who under 21 who wants to drink hasn't?

[spacepup | 2,575]

Some random article says "Hundreds of Twitter users posted messages and memes insinuating that the draft, or selective service, will be put into place within the next few months"

My question is...do you feel like this is actually a pervasive issue with "kids these days" legitimately believing that?

I highly doubt that any significant number of kids these days is actually afraid of this.