# If my grandmother had balls...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-my-grandmother-had-balls/268563>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 11, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-my-grandmother-had-balls/268563 "2004-10-11T03:15:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-my-grandmother-had-balls/268563/21 "2004-10-12T15:05:35Z")

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> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Actually, it is Democrat Charles Rangel who wants them. He is the one, after all, who [sponsored the new draft legislation](http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/).

Two points:

1-Rangle introduced that bill _prior_ to the Iraq invasion. And it appears he did so as his own anti-war political statement.

2-I actually sort of _agree_ with his stated reasons for doing so:

> [@](#):
>
> The New York Democrat told reporters his goal is two-fold: to jolt Americans into realizing the import of a possible unilateral strike against Iraq, which he opposes, and “to make it clear that if there were a war, there would be more equitable representation of people making sacrifices.”
> 
> \*\*“I truly believe that those who make the decision and those who support the United States going into war would feel more readily the pain that’s involved, the sacrifice that’s involved, if they thought that the fighting force would include the affluent and those who historically have avoided this great responsibility,” Rangel said.
> 
> “Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country,” Rangel said. “For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance.”\*\*
> 
> According to Rangel’s office, minorities comprise more than 30 percent of the nation’s military. (bolding mine)

I wrote “sort of agree,” because for as much as such a measure might act as a deterrent, I think it is rather idealistic to think that it would. For “the affluent” are seldom lacking in the political connections that Hackworth points to in his own article. So for every Kerry that volunteers for active duty on scene, you’ll get a much larger number of Dubyas that make a mockery of the whole draft system.

PS-Update on [Rangle’s bill](http://www.newsweek.org/id/6185922/)

> [@](#):
>
> Draft legislation scheduled for debate Tuesday was introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., a fierce critic of both the Iraq war and the Bush administration, who said even he would vote against his bill now. He accused Republicans of cynically trying to use the measure to escape election-season questions about the war.

The bill was overwhelmingly defeated.

So once again, given this Administration’s penchant for blatant lying, why would anyone believe Bush when he makes a campaign pledge “not to restitute the draft”?

In his own words:“Fool me once…you can’t get fooled again!”

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-my-grandmother-had-balls/268563/22 "2004-10-12T15:19:33Z")

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My favorite is that violence is “going to increase leading up to” the elections. This gives the stupids (you know who you are) the impression that if we can just… _make… it… to… elections_, everything will be peachy fuckin keen afterwards.

What they should (the truth) say is violence will lead up until we get the hell out, and then a civil war will ensue.

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