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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2004)
C ommentary 4 • T he C lackamas P rint M arch 3, 2004 New draft bill reaches Congress How do you feel about the re instatement of the draft? “I don’t think the draft is as applicable as it may have been... since the techno logical explosion.” Adam Omidpanali -Clark “I think it would be time to run to Canada if they reinstate it.” Brent Georgeson “I think that’s a bad idea. You should do it of your own free will.” Melissa Campobasso “I think it’s good that they’re including girls with it, but I don’t think it’s right.” Leevan Arellano “1 don’t think girls should be included. 1 don’t know why!” Tracy Morgan Proposa/ is an abomination to youth of America Ben A O pinion itor It appears that those who said that there would never be a draft again were wrong, for even now, the federal government is prepar ing to reinstate the draft in as lit tle as a year.. Twin bills S 89 and HR_163, both aptly titled “Universal Service Act of 2003” arc current ly pending legislation. If passed, for the first time in almost 40 years, all young U.S. citizens would face being shipped off to fight and even die, against their will..The bills collectively have 15 co-sponsors—all Democrats. This c r u c joke; t h c \\ e x 1 s - fence o th'csc bills was verified by the U.S. Congress website ( w w w. c o n gress.org). In addition reinstating Victnam-era draft, |||| this bill goes above and beyond to amend the Military Selective Service Act to include women and non American citizens between the ages of 18 and 26. This should come, as no surprise. The National Guard (keyword being “national”) has already been sent overseas, and according to The Washington Post, soldiers have been forced to keep serving after their contracts have run out. Signs have been pointing to a draft for months now. In September, the Defense Department posted a want-ad on www.defcndamerica.mil, wanting people to join local draft boards 19600 S Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 (503) 657-6958 ext. 2309 The Clackamas Print is a weekly student publication and is distributed every Wednesday, except during I Inals week. signed a “Smart Border Declaration ” with U.S. Homeland Security Director, Tom Ridge, This would effectively keep would-be draft dodgers in country by, among other things, requiring a “pre-clear- a n c c agree ment” for those traveling between the two coun applicable, By reforming draft to make it more “ tair" fair” along class lines, it has been made so that underclassmen would only be given a deferment until the end of the current semester, seniors until the end of their academic year. Planning to relocate to Canada? Sorry. In December of 2001, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley tries. The financial aspect of a draft must also be brought up. We are now in a terrible recession. The government cannot afford to properly equip the troops that arc currently in hostile combat, even down to the ceramic plates for their Kevlar flak jackets not being supplied. Some parents have gone as far as to purchase the plates on eBay for their children and have them shipped out. With the multi trillion dollar debt we are in, how can we except draftees to be properly equipped to preserve their own lives? Now .it seems that riot only is our generation supposed to pay for the financial bill for these escapades, but we arc also sup posed to pay with our lives? Those .who are deciding on this bill will not be affected by a draft. Yes, some may have children, but unfortunately it may come back to the fortunate son (and now daughter) complex—the middle and lower class being forced to fight, while those with the money and power get light duty stateside, if forced to serve at all. So far this bill has made no ripples in the pond that is America, but the < reason for this still remains to c seen. 11 is ridiculous to think that the American public | would r not be interested in these dis- dcvclop- tressing ments, and the existence of these bills is public knowledge. It is also ridiculous to think that we should idly sit by and put up with our fates being determined by those who arc above the repara-. tions of their actions on this mat ter. America is a democracy, and now is the time to take an active part in the democratic process, before it is too late. Sen. Ron Wyden (D) can be reached by calling (202) 224-5244, or visit: http: I/iyyden.senate.gov/ contact.html Sen. Gordon Smith (R) can he reached at (202) 224-3753 or visit: http:/ /gsmilh.senate.govI ivebform.htm One’s respective'representative can be determined and contacted by visiting: http:/ / ivnnv.honse.govl write rep. FCC cracks down after recent TV fiascos place to set a standard for decen cy on public airwaves. They don’t know what that standard is, but they’re there tex set it. It’s high time someone set specific rules and started enforc ing them. There- should be no questionings discussing or trying to find loopholes Lin the rules, because it only wastes time and diminishes the effectiveness and intent of the rules as a whole. Asking the F(C(C why they exist in the first place would likely pro duce, a single answer: “because.” Well,“because” might be a good enough answer when kids ask parents why they have to clean their rooms, but it’s not when it comes to a commission that’s responsible for controlling our nation’s media content. The f’(XC needs to start doing their job, or disband and stop wasting tax money. They need to pick one side of the fence and stick to it, or we may never see the end of this incessant bicker ing that wastes time while our children are growing up too cocky to realize how confused they’ve become. After late-night leniency and describing the b’-word as an “adjective,” it took a bare breast in the middle of the single, high est-rated broadcast in the world for the federal Communications Commission (b’(LC) to shed their “Barney Fife” exterior and do their job. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake have been losing one gig after another, sending their credibility beyond “rock bot tom.” But whether it was their place to tal«Taction or not, some thing needed to be done to show just how lackluster the F(L(L has become. (Committees and lawyers spent so much time dis cussing decisions to be made that nothing was actually accom plished. Thanks to all that wasted time, our nation’s youth has new ideas on what body parts arc cool to pierce and how. Nice work. Yes, this classic example of an “Oops, 1 did it again” was pre sented by the same folks who allowed rock singer Bono to throw out an b’-word on a nation twiddling their thumbs about it, ally broadcast award ceremony as every single affiliate of (CBS in if he were tossing a fish.ing-Jin'F^ the entire country (around 150) He’s been trying io throw back would have been fined $275,000 called the what he caught on that particular for cast, but itjjt&i^Thke that is one ,“Hidftfmt! Show” Qne can only fish willing- to die for a worthy Jfflagi^^.^yjt^tffl^V'hcre the cause. 'S'TT'*' * p ri ma ry , words In im I ’< >we 11 ’s The F( C& q|les profanity : mouth were, “1,told you w ” Ayjjip it’s ^^gifoWtrA tijjiknow and cor^^nOty directly or TtydiTJ that at least one guy in a position rcctly with public triads (tddud-- of powet Is tiying to do his job, a ing journalists). ManjAfcerwey^ ^S^^hiOtriok so lung? restrict Th gl rights of an-« Americans freedom of speech. has tuined America’s children. It whieh:W^>ri^ fiir-fc|ch<xi\6xtent .. is not the TV itself, but the con tents ohr &ldrenXview on the caffebc true, »he t cal issue with the 1(1(1, however, is noMmeir magic, glowing box that has mtSsipn statci^nt, hovX^cll warped tltctr realirv into the vio lctit, profane and sexually libgrat- theyflo their job of earning out X® bchafiluo^ todjds d^fisid- thatWtte^mt. «OA a JgX ()ti Jan. 1 -^20OT^|^ighly X8C ^fijed “cciriSi An „ts^Blent -XBampffeiof our days before the Stq^^Towj^, (LN N.cotii posted ah;^arttelh that ashjWWnTs n%|kalitv Q^Sirred at a f (C( C (ImefA ' (X $riijhissioncr . rggQBtlA^W^TCe in Oregon (City. Michael PowblJ^iad Sillied ,for;^' A young gjrf^made sexual dramatic incrcasTfqyfintis cliangrf advances ar theT)|’s assistant for' for broadcast obsccnttygjSjftlrcs^ must of the ievening. Denied his maximum charge of $27,5(10 w®*“ ^atrcntion, she finally asked if she set “decades ago,” and Powell could have his children. The girl wanted to multiply that number is in the eighth grade. The f (CC was originally put in tenfold. If the 1*’(C(C weren’t still Co Editors-in-Chief: Advertising Manager: Production assistant: Goals: The Clackamas Print aims to (Lyndec Mady and (Lory Price Copy Editor: Katie bunk News Editor: Karlin Johnson Opinion Editor: Ben Maras > Feature Editor: Karen Hill A&E. Editor: Isaiah Creel Sports Editor: Nie Delzcll Mark balling, ext. 2578 Photo Editor: Jesse Lamond Staff Writers: Shannon Armstead, Sara Atkeson, Amy (Lashman, Faye Dodds, Prank Jordan, Jessica LcGlaire, Bethany Monroe, Jeff Sorensen, Jadon Triplett Michaele (Looper report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed, do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty or The Print. I i-mail comments to chicfcd@clackamas.edu. Jeff Sorensen T he C lackamas P rint T he C lackamas P rint “should a draft become neces sary.” After the notice began to draw some media attention (including that of The Oregonian), the notice was removed. In addition, the Selective Service System has requested $28 million for their 2004 budget—five million more than their last budget request. How does- this affect" college students? The classic dodge of being a college stu dent would no longer be Photographers: Truman Anderson, Angela Gerhart Adviser: Linda Vogt Department assistant: ]<auren Vuylsteke . The Clackamas Print © 2004
