It’s time to have a serious debate about transgenders.
And we can start with the United States Selective Service.
If for some reason you don’t give much thought to the Selective Service these days, it’s because it is a blast from the past.
Almost all males between ages of 18 and 25 residing in the United States — including undocumented immigrants — still are required to register with the Selective Service. They must do so within 30 days of turning 18 or within 30 days of arriving in this country.
There is also a requirement that those born male and have changed their gender to male must register. The reverse, however, is not true. Those born female and have changed their gender to male are not required to do so.
The Selective Service exists so that in the event of a national emergency — essentially a state of war or the inability to fill needed military manpower via volunteers to provide for the nation’s basic security needs and readiness — a draft can be imposed.
There has not been a draft since the last one ended on Dec. 7, 1972 when the Vietnam War was winding down. The last draft lottery — essentially a bunch of bingo style balls numbered 1 to 365 with No. 366 tossed in for leap years — took place on March 12, 1975.
And if you weren’t around back then, the drawing was significant enough that it was televised given there was a lot at stake.
While there is no active draft, the nation needs the ability to react in emergencies. One hopes it never gets to the point where it has been at times over the years in places like Israel where it is all hands on deck just to assure the day-to-day survival of our nation.
Israel mandates outright conscription of all genders with exceptions carved out for religious or ethnicity reasons. That said while Arab citizens of Israel are exempted from conscription at age 18 they can still volunteer.
The normal length of compulsory service for men in Israel is two years and six months and for women it’s two years.
Setting aside your political views aside when it comes to the Middle East it is difficult to argue Israel is a slouch when it comes to its military. This is a country that operates like their very existence depends on the military being up to par which is the case.
Israel has one of the most accommodating militaries on the planet when it comes to LGBTQ individuals. Transgenders are able to serve under their identified gender and even receive gender affirming surgery.
Clearly transgenders are an asset to the Israel military.
Yet the United States doesn’t hold the same views.
It’s not only transgenders the United States is selling short. It’s women as well.
And when you sell women and transgenders short you are selling the nation short.
The Selective Service exists to make sure this nation can activate the manpower resources it may need to survive. Every able-bodied person needs to pull their weight.
Even the Selective Service requires every physically handicapped male between the ages of 18 and 25 that “can function in public with or without assistance” to register.
This clearly isn’t a requirement inserted into the law in the name of equality. It reflects the very real scenario that there could be such a manpower shortage in a crisis that physically handicapped individuals that have an array of useful skills and abilities may be needed.
It is underscored by the fact roughly 10 percent of a military force is assigned to combat roles while the rest supports that effort.
During the past year during all the huffing and puffing in Congress over gazillion dollar infrastructure bills and the endless tweeting of political dodo birds there have been serious, measured, and civil discussions about this country’s draft registry.
They have taken place in connection with the $777.9 billion defense bill.
It included an amendment by a Republican senator from Wyoming named Cynthia Lummis who wants the Selective Service abolished outright to Democrat John Tester of Montana who is leaning toward requiring women to register as well as men.
Perhaps why nary a peep of such discussion makes its way onto cable shouting shows where those that demean those of opposing politics and different values are rewarded with higher ratings or in the lemming echo chambers of the Internet is because the debate isn’t taking place in hues of solid blue and rigid red.
There are Republicans and Democrats that support it on the basis it would promote equality in the military. And those ranks even include conservatives although some conservatives do see such a move as further erosion of tradition gender roles.
Not requiring women to register is backwards thinking based on today’s military. All military combat jobs have been open to women since 2015.
Based on the most recent data that was gleaned from December 2019, there were 613 women sailors and Marines serving in combat units. The Army has 653 women in combat roles. The Air Force had 12 women qualified to be part of combat forces specializing in the deployment of air power in hostile territories.
The Air Force’s ranks are now 20.2 percent women at the high end while the Marines Corps bring up the rear at 8.6 percent.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst who served in Kuwait and Iraq as a former National Guard commander said it best; “Because we have opened up every positron in the military, I think it is imperative that women say we want to be treated equally. If that’s true, then they should be registering for the draft.”
Women registering for the draft should be a done deal given where the military is at today.
Transgenders clearly will be a bigger question to address.
But the fact the government has determined at least transgenders born as male but identify as female have to register with the Selective Service the door has been opened.
It makes sense that all able-bodied persons including women and those across the LGBTQ spectrum be called upon whenever the nation faces an all-hands-on-deck emergency.
This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
