Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD)

: Rick Jahnkow; Articles Archive; 14 October 2020; Hits: 2864

A New Legal Development Allows Draft Registration to Continue

From Draft NOtices, October-December 2020

A New Legal Development Allows Draft Registration to Continue

— Rick Jahnkow

In 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that male-only draft registration did not constitute gender discrimination because, at that time, women were excluded from military combat roles. In February 2020, a federal district court judge in Texas ruled that because women were no longer excluded from combat, the system of draft registration that only had consequences for males had become a form of unconstitutional gender discrimination. That judge’s ruling was subsequently appealed by the government to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Institutional Betrayal and Moral Courage

From Draft NOtices, October-December 2020

Institutional Betrayal and Moral Courage: The Case of Armando Perez, Jr.

— Isidro Ortiz, Ph.D.

Sexual assault in the U.S. military is usually associated with female soldiers such as the late Private First Class Vanessa Guillen who, according to reports, was sexually harassed and killed by a fellow soldier while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. However, male soldiers are also victims of sexual assault. A 2016 survey found that approximately 0.6 percent of active-duty men had experienced sexual assault in the previous year. Although some may dismiss the numbers as being insignificant, compared to sexual assaults of female soldiers, the numbers constitute part of what Congresswoman Veronica Escobar refers to as an “epidemic of unchecked sexual harassment and sexual assault” in the armed forces. The case of Armando Perez, Jr., offers insights into the institutional betrayal of male soldiers and the harm inflicted on those subjected to sexual assault.

Gilberto Robledo: Educator-Activist, Leader, and Veteran for Peace

From Draft NOtices, July-September 2020

Gilberto Robledo: Educator-Activist, Leader, and Veteran for Peace

— Isidro Ortiz, Ph.D.

Gilberto (left) with Isidro Ortiz at the Veterans For Peace convention, San Diego, CA, August 8, 2015. Photo: Project YANO. To youth who may be socially and economically marginalized, the claim that the military provides opportunities for growth, success and belonging may be seductive. The accomplishments of Gilberto Robledo -- educator, military veteran and peace activist — show how someone can attain those things without making a career out of the military.

When I recently interviewed Gilberto, I learned that he was born at home in Santa Paula, California, in 1940. Both of his parents were immigrants from Mexico. Neither of them was active in politics or in labor unions, but they experienced the cruel conditions of California farm labor, as children and as adults, working for corporate agribusiness. Despite such experiences, they aspired to become naturalized citizens. At the age of seven, Gilberto assisted them in this endeavor. As he notes: “In helping them study for their exam, I learned three big words of the branches of U.S. government: Legislature, Judicial, Executive.” Once they became naturalized, his parents “instilled the importance and privilege of voting in every election.”