"Key Democrats in the House and Senate will renew calls for the military draft as part of a critical barrage they are preparing to launch against President Bush over the length of troop deployments and the heavy reliance on reservists in Iraq. Military experts outside Congress say there is a political advantage to be gained by Democrats who want to make the president squirm at a time a growing frustration among military families and other Americans over the occupation. But they also say that there are legitimate policy grounds for re instituting the draft, which was phased out after the Vietnam war. Leading Democratic critics of the structure of troop deployment in the Middle East proponents of a universal military draft are Rep. Charles Rangel (N.Y.) and Sen. Fritz Hollings (D S.C.), the top Democrats on the House Ways and Means and Senate Commerce Committees, respectively. Rangel has instructed his staff to conduct an in depth review of the make up of National Guard and armed services reserve units." The Hill The Newspaper For and About The US Congress Oct.9, 2003

"This bill requires all young Americans men and women between 18 and 26 to perform a two year period of national service in a military or civilian capacity as determined by the President. For those who conscientiously object to war, the bill assures that any military service would not include combat. Otherwise, there would be no preferences, no deferments, no chance for the well off or the well connected to dodge military service for their country, as did our President. Reinstituting the draft may seem unnecessary to some. But, it will ensure all Americans share in the cost and sacrifice of war. Without a universal draft, this burden weighs disproportionately on the shoulders of the poor the disadvantaged and minority populations." Congressman Pete Stark.

Some key members of the Democratic Party in the House and Senate are calling for a revival of the military draft! About a year ago I reported on my Internet radio program there was a Bill in Congress,( H.R. 3598) sponsored by Republican Congressmen Nick Smith of Michigan and Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania that called for a universal service (for both males and females) with no exemptions for conscientious objectors. The Bill was introduced following 9 11 but languished in committee. As the “War on Terrorism” escalated, Iraq was invaded seemingly without an exit strategy and the occupation became bogged by a guerilla style resistence movement. Alarm has spread throughout the country around the extended tours of duty of the men already in Iraq and the possibility of more reservists being called up to replace them once they are rotated out.

The Generals in charge of reserves are looking at re-enlistment rates because long stays away from their families and hazardous duty may cause many not to enlist or reup once their tour is completed. Last year New York Congressman Charles Rangel called for the re-institution of the military draft citing disproportionate numbers of people of color and lower classes in the All Volunteer Army. His call was ignored although it did make some waves in the media.

There hasn’t been a military draft since 1973 when Congress abolished conscription due to intense division and widespread opposition to the war in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, and the undeclared wars in Cambodia, Laos etc.) and dissatisfaction with the blatant inequalities that existed within draft system. The sons of influential or well to do parents were able to avoid the draft and combat altogether or by joining the reserves. People like Dan Quayle and current President George W. Bush, the sons of a wealthy businessman and aspiring politicians, were allowed to join the National Guard or Army Reserve. Bill Clinton John Ashcroft and Dick Cheney all avoided the draft bu securing deferments or exemptions. George W Bush joined the r Reserve but failed to report for duty for over a year, while poor whites, blacks and other people of color were conscripted to serve in the military and were sent to the front lines or combat zones in disproportionate numbers to their numbers in the general population.

In 1980 Congress re-instituted registration for the military although the needs of the armed services were met through an all volunteer system. Up ‘til now an all volunteer military has been sufficient; however George W. Bush’s ambitious and aggressive approach to geo-political policy has overextended the military. There have been numerous military actions and “interventions” since the draft was abolished in 1973 but for the most part the forces used have been small in number. The invasion of Granada in 1983 used only 8,880 troops, the invasion of Panama used a total of about 27,351 in all, Operation Desert Storm used 665,476 and the US participation in Bosnia used 5,400 soldiers plus US Marine Amphibious Ready Group. Of course there have been numerous other covert operations and off book scenarios that have not required large numbers of US troops or clandestine operatives. But the Invasion and occupation of Iraq has changed all that. When former Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki testified before Congress he stated it would take “something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers” to successfully invade, “stabilize” and occupy Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz scoffed at Shinseki’s figures then swiftly moved to marginalize him and hasten his retirement. As fate would have it, Shinseki’s figures now seem to be on the mark. There are currently over 180,000 US soldiers in the region counting the Persian Gulf plus a substantial number of soldiers in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Where will the additional soldiers come from it appears will be needed to occupy Iraq in the event Bush is unsuccessful getting more countries to join the occupation and reconstruction? In all probability from a resurrected military draft.

Due to unanticipated Iraqi resistence and sabotage that is taking a heavy toll on US forces and slowing reconstruction efforts; Bush, Powell and Rumsfeld are scrambling to bribe or coerce more countries into participating in the occupation and share reconstruction costs. The US forces are overextended, morale is sinking and soldiers are being picked off daily. Ironically it is not the rabid Neocons in the Bush administration, the ones who formulated and pushed the policy of pre-emptive military strikes that have created the current situation that are calling for the revival of the draft; it is the equally morally bankrupt Democrats! Recently Congressman Rangel reiterated his call for a universal draft and legislators on both sides of the aisle are starting to think it's a good idea. So rather than pressure the administration to rethink AmeriKKKa's foreign policy, go back to the table and work out a compromise with the UN or cut their losses in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring the troops home, the Democrats are colluding to re-institute the draft and conscript males and females to help Bush establish military hegemony all over the world.

A newer version of H.R. 3589 was recently introduced, H.R. 163 by Rangel and several Democratic co-sponsors called the Universal National Service Act of 2003. You hear very little about it on the news. Rangel says he is doing it so the poor won't have to carry the burden of military service. On the surface he makes a good point. None of the Neo Cons in the Bush administration served in the military. George W Bush was AWOL for a year and half from the Air National Guard. Only one US Senator has a child serving in harm's way in Iraq! Superficially a fair draft that ensures national defense makes sense. But we need to expand the parameters of our thinking. Historically the draft has not been popular during wartime. The military draft was first initiated in 1863 during the US Civil War (although the Confederate States instituted a draft in 1862). However many Northern white males were so adamant about not serving, riots broke out, the most infamous was in New York City where draft opponents broke into an armory stole guns and targeted blacks for beatings and murder for five straight days.

The draft like so much of AmeriKKKa has always had a class bias. The wealthy if they chose could either buy their way out or use their family’s influence to avoid the draft and combat altogether. In fact that is what triggered the draft riots during the Civil War. The law stated that a called up man could avoid the draft if he provided a substitute or if he purchased an exemption by paying the government $300! The poor had neither option so they were conscripted. The draft wasn’t a major factor in the Spanish-American War, but the seeds were planted by the use of National Guardsmen who were asked to volunteer to support the effort. In WWI and WWII which were sold and marketed as “just wars” because AmeriKKKa had been “attacked”, the draft saw little resistence. The draft was even accepted by most Africans in American who were living in a virulently violent, color and race based caste system!?

Unlike WWI and WWII, the war in Southeast Asia split the nation, resistence to both the war and draft were high as opponents pointed to the draft’s inequities. Poor whites and blacks were drafted in higher numbers than middle or upper class whites and had less opportunity to secure deferments or exemptions. Local Draft Boards were comprised almost exclusively of whites even in the North and West. When I appealed my status after graduating from college and went before the local Draft Board they were older white males all of whom were unsympathetic to my situation ( I was in Graduate School, and I was the only child of a widow.) They arrogantly assured me by the end of the current semester I would be drafted. I was called to report for the physical but I had made up my mind I wasn’t going into the Army. Lo and behold, when I took the physical my blood pressure was up, I guess due to the stress. I got a 1-Y listing and was never called up. Many of my high school classmates who didn’t go to college and some who did weren’t so fortunate. Several died in combat, many returned a fraction of their former selves.

The domestic turmoil over the war and widespread resistence to the draft undercut the military’s prestige and influence in society. Losing the war, didn’t help the self-image of the military either. To counter this phenomenon, Congress abolished the draft in 1973 and instituted an all volunteer military. In 1980 Congress re-instituted mandatory registration but figures indicate about 20% of registration aged males don’t bother to register. While an all volunteer military avoids the Vietnam era tensions, anti-military attitudes of malcontents forced into the service, most volunteers don’t sign up to go into battle. Many are simply trying to earn money for college, secure GI benefits, learn a skill or travel during these uncertain economic times. Reservists and National Guardsmen sign up to earn extra money and as a form of public service. However current military deployment are putting a severe strain on the availability of soldiers. Calling up of reservists is only a short term solution because reservist aren’t as well trained and their mind set is that they are weekend warriors or part time soldiers. If the draft is revived all eligible males and females between the ages of 18-16 will have to register and serve.

The Selective Service claims Draft Boards will be more representative of the neighborhoods and communities of which they serve but I doubt that very seriously. Currently recruitment targets mostly schools and people from predominantly poor communities and people of color, the hardest hit by adverse economic conditions. The new model for the draft claims there will be no exemptions except for hardship and conscientious objectors will still have to perform service although they will not be sent into combat. However we know the rich will find a way to keep their kids out altogether or avoid combat. From what I’ve seen if a youngster is in high school or a secondary school he or she will be allowed to remain in school until they reach the age of 20.

Those attending college will be allowed to finish the semester if they are drafted but there will be no deferments or exemptions. That sounds good on paper but we know somehow there will be abuses especially in our communities. Rangel’s bill presupposes the "War on Terrorism" or the need for “Homeland security” will be endless. But what about the option of real peace; where there is no more killing or bombing, no more US weapons of mass destruction unleashed on poor defenseless people? What if we said no to Bush's fascist agenda of perpetual war and no to the draft? What if we collectively said no to war, period?!! The anti-war movement was energized to fight against the draft during the 60's and 70's. It took nation wide counterinsurgency tactics by the US government (the FBI’s COINTELPRO and CIA’s Operation Chaos) in an attempt to undermine the effectiveness of the anti-war movement and they still weren’t able to completely shut it down.

The last thing Bush and Co wants to do is get a coalition of college kids, grass roots activists and aging radicals fired up. A re-instituted draft would produce a sense of urgency on the part of potential draftees, those aged 18-26. Remember, under the new rules males and females will be required to serve! PATRIOT ACT or not, if the AmeriKKKan people don't stand up, say no and resist the revival of the draft now; its all over, the fascists have already won.

The Gambles returned to South Philadelphia with a mission to help revitalize the area and transform it into an oasis and model to demonstrate what African-Americans can do for ourselves. Kenny Gamble an immensely successful record company executive returned to his old neighborhood with a vision to rebuild and re-energize it physically, mentally and spiritually. He formed Universal Companies a non-profit Community Development Corporation that has spearheaded a renaissance, a virtual real estate, economic and social transformation in the community. Thus far Universal Companies has been the lead partner in over $ 8 billion dollars worth of programs which include new home construction replacing several low income high rise housing complex with brand new low and moderate income homes, a charter school, an employment training center and business support programs that have impacted 50,000 residents and the number is growing.

While Universal Companies has been a major player in transforming the neighborhood physically and economically, Faatimah Gamble’s Salaam Enterprises Inc. has been the wellspring from which the Wellness of You health awareness programs emerged. She leveraged her own interest in personal health, complimentary medicine, community based holistic public health initiatives and sponsored a series of information seminars, health fairs, gatherings and award ceremonies to share her knowledge with the community and honor those who were working to raise the overall consciousness and enhance the physical and emotional well-being of the community.

Her Wellness of You programs are not limited to South Philadelphia, her separate initiatives for men, women and children attract people throughout the region.

“It began in South Philadelphia and as we began to promote the Wellness over the radio, TV and print, people began to come wanting to experience this information. It basically grew from word of mouth.” Due to her passion for what she is doing and the enthusiastic support of her husband the Wellness programs have now taken on lives of their own and grown over the years. “It is through popular demand that we have introduced the Men’s Wellness, because if you notice in the audience (for the Tree of Life Awards Ceremony) it will be primarily women there and its important that our males experience this information. It’s vital to the survival of our community because men suffer unnecessarily from a great proportion of illness which could be avoided if they had the information.”

For the first time her Tree of Life Awards features a recipient from outside the Philadelphia tri state area giving the Awards Ceremony an international flare and flavor. “We’ve brought in an internationally recognized practitioner from Jamaica and this has taken us global and international.” added Mrs Gamble. She firmly believes in the daily practical application of the information and modalities she has learned and she has incorporated and integrated them into the curriculum in their Universal Institute Charter School so their students will have access to the information and be taught how to apply it to their lives.

“We have the Children’s Health Fair in May and we have the Children’s Health Program in our Charter School where we offer practices in nutrition and yoga. We believe in the integration of the vitamins, the herbs, the different modalities and there are numerous modalities out there that we can discuss. We also recognize the importance of prevention, visiting the doctor once a year to have your vital signs checked, blood pressure, blood analysis and your heart. Herbs aren’t going to do it all, if you eat properly, exercise these are major components of good health. But at the same time we know our community suffers unnecessarily from a higher rate of high blood pressure, strokes and diabetes and we need these tests done so that we are at an elevated state they are easily reversible just by changing our lifestyle.”

The annual Tree of Life Awards were held this year at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Performing Art in South Philadelphia in the area Gamble’s Universal Companies is helping to revitalize. The Tree of Life Award is not just an awards luncheon where people drop in, pick up their award, say a few words of thanks and leave. It is an educational opportunity, a chance for health providers and practitioners to interact with the public, teach and provide information, answer questions, provide tips and candid insights into promoting wellness as opposed to sick care.

“There’s a lot of information out there. Often times we as a community are not privy ti this information, there are new treatments out there that we are not privy to what we need to do, what we try to do at Wellness is ring this to the forefront so our community can be educated about these developments. When I make the final selection of the honorees I want to know they can present information that can stimulate the awareness of good health. I want to know if they are going to leave with some information to stimulate them to take an action, I want to be sure they are going to provide information that will focus on choices in their lives so this is an education lecture. The award is to show we appreciate the work the honorees are doing, that is secondary to the information I insist they provide.”

This year’s honorees, Maria Pajil Battle a Senior Vice President for marketing at Keystone Mercy health Plan the largest medical assistance managed health care plan in Pennsylvania, Dr. H Anthony Vendryes a Jamaican physician who specializes in conventional and complimentary treatment modalities, Dr. Leander Ellis a board certified psychiatrist with a specialty in Orthomolecular Psychiatry and Dr. Corrine c. Morgan the first licensed African-American female chiropractor in the state of Pennsylvania did not disappoint Mrs Gamble nor the awards luncheon attendees. They provided needed information and encouragement to empower the attendees to create healthy lifestyles.

Long term Mrs Gamble envisions Salaam Enterprises and Universal Companies partnering in creating a health center it the area that focuses on alternative practices and health awareness. The irony is Mrs Gamble has never been recognized or honored for her extensive efforts in promoting health and wellness within the African-American community.

10-19-03