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Letter to VVAW On The Draft

By VVAW

(The following statement was written by Ron Newell, a draft-age youth from Polo, Illinois where he works with a local anti-draft and ant-registration group.)

The U.S. has never in its history had registrations without a draft, nor a draft without war. We are once again witnessing the unfolding of a peacetime draft which, in all probability will bring the U.S. into another war. There is more proof than just historical background to this evaluation. The organizing of local draft boards, and the constant statements by different governmental departments and official of a "future large-scale conventional war over-seas" are good indications of what the future holds.

We, the youth of this country, have no obligation to participate in the draft system, nor, in any war. The draft system requires having the youth of this country sacrifice their freedom; and war represents the foreign policy failures of the government and the interests of multi-national corporations.

Most of the youth around the world are just ordinary and beautiful individuals with whom we have no quarrels (in fact have ultimately never even met before). The youth of the U.S. should refuse registration for the draft as a symbol. First, we find the draft system unfair; and secondly, the common people of the world have no quarrels, only the governments can be blamed for such ignorance.