What is Selective Service registration? It is the process by which the U.S. government collects names and addresses of men ages 18 through 25 to use in case there is a national emergency where we would need a large armed force. Men who are 26 years old and older are not required to register.               

Registering doesn’t mean you are signing up for the army, but it does mean you may be drafted in case of a national emergency or war. Once you register, the law requires you to keep Selective Service informed of your address changes within 10 days so you can be reached without delay. By registering, you become eligible for student financial aid, government employment, employment with the U.S. Postal Service, and, for male immigrants, U.S. citizenship.              

But is this setup fair? It is not a question of whether we should have a pool of names to select from in case of a national emergency, but a question of who should be obligated to register.

Men who do not register can be prosecuted and, if convicted, fined up to $250,000 and serve up to five years in prison. But there is no requirement for women to register.

Now I don’t think any women are complaining too much, because they are still able to sign up for service if they are so inclined, but how fair is it to them or to the men who have to register or face possible prosecution?

For years, women have been fighting for equal rights, and now in the 21st century, we are almost there. But doesn’t this mean we should be equal in all aspects? You can’t pick and choose the perks of equality, and sue for some rights while ignoring the blatant unfair separation here. 

Now, no man wants to be identified as someone who complains, “Why do I have to put my name in and possibly be drafted to a war, but my sister doesn’t have to?” But he would be justified in saying so.  

Isn’t an equal opportunity to register for the draft, be drafted and fight in time of national emergency just what we need to be in order to achieve complete equality? 

It is interesting to think of all the battles women have fought in order to be treated as men’s equals. But can we choose some forms of equality and not others? If women demand equal treatment under all other laws, shouldn’t they have to accept the equality of having to register for the draft, too?

Reposted from CC Spin.