# Should American Females be Required to Register for the Draft? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023 "2011-06-10T20:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/1 "2011-06-10T20:10:28Z")
Inspired by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13898827&postcount=28) in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=611778). American women are not currently subject to the military draft. Is this unequal treatment the result of male preference, female preference, or neither? Please assume the same registration requirements for females as for males. I realize this is academic, as the US is not likely to re-institute conscription anytime soon. Poll coming right up. . . ---
**Author:** ![Profound\_Gibberish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Profound\_Gibberish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profound_Gibberish)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/2 "2011-06-10T20:15:54Z")
I am an Army vet. Given the number of women in the military and many serving in active combat areas and engaing in actual combat, they should have to register. Personally, I belive the draft is a waste of money. There are plenty of ways to get a list of eligible people if an emergency occurs. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/3 "2011-06-10T20:17:38Z")
I picked “other”: ideally, I’d like for _no one_ to have to register for the draft, but if men must, then women should be required to, also. And I’m female. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/4 "2011-06-10T20:20:24Z")
If men have to register, women should have to as well. And they should be eligible for every position that a man can fill, assuming they can meet the requirements (which should not be simplified for them). ETA: Female. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/5 "2011-06-10T20:27:04Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > If men have to register, women should have to as well. And they should be eligible for every position that a man can fill, assuming they can meet the requirements ( **which should not be simplified for them** ). > > ETA: Female. Females have different physical restrictions/requirements then males to be eligible. So…if you are suggesting to remove that, then you’re effectively eliminating a bunch of women who wouldn’t serve, draft or otherwise. Actually, in the event of a real conscription, we’d have issues. How many people can’t serve because of being overweight or having mental health problems? I object to lowering standards for conscription purposes only as then you’re discriminating. If I can’t join the Army because I’m 10 lbs overweight or deaf in one ear or far-sighted, why should you force me to fight when I already had another life planned because you’re desperate? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/6 "2011-06-10T20:33:20Z")
I believe that if men can be drafted, so should women. So what if there are a bunch of jobs that certain woman aren’t qualified for-there are shitloads of jobs in the military that I wasn’t qualified for, and I still did my stint. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/7 "2011-06-10T20:45:19Z")
As long as we are drafting men, we should we drafting women. There will always be some position for which some draftees (male or female) are unqualified. There are other positions they can fill. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/8 "2011-06-10T21:36:15Z")
I thin that if males are required to register then females should also be required to register. But I oppose the idea of a draft in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/9 "2011-06-10T21:38:47Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I thin that if males are required to register then females should also be required to register. But I oppose the idea of a draft in the first place. Agreed. I think the question in the poll assumes that there is a draft, so I voted yes. However, I believe that men should not have to register for the draft. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/10 "2011-06-10T21:39:30Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Females have different physical restrictions/requirements then males to be eligible. So…if you are suggesting to remove that, then you’re effectively eliminating a bunch of women who wouldn’t serve, draft or otherwise. What I meant by that is, for example, that women should be held to the same standards as men for serving in combat roles that require a certain level of physical prowess. I’m not talking about arbitrary standards–but if, in order to be in the infantry, you need to be able to hike X miles carrying a pack weighing X pounds, or run a certain distance in full gear, or whatever, then women should be required to do the same. I’d be okay with proportionally smaller packs designed to fit women’s body size (assuming smaller men had the same), but it’s like firefighters–if you can’t drag somebody out of a building because you’re not strong enough, you shouldn’t be in a job where you might have to. Conversely, I do support women being able to hold any combat position that men can hold. I don’t believe women are inherently any more “special” or protection-worthy than men. Plus, unless things have changed, the dangerous combat positions are the ones that get you promoted faster, so if a woman wants to make her career in the military she shouldn’t be barred from trying for them. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/11 "2011-06-10T21:40:41Z")
I’m with \*\*Dorkness \*\*and \*\*Trihs \*\*and \*\*Giles \*\*- I oppose the draft, but if there were to be one, it would be more equitable to draft everyone, regardless of gender. (female, fwiw) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/12 "2011-06-10T21:53:02Z")
> [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I picked “other”: ideally, I’d like for _no one_ to have to register for the draft, but if men must, then women should be required to, also. And I’m female. Agreed. So I guess I’ll vote “other,” too. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/13 "2011-06-10T21:56:40Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Agreed. So I guess I’ll vote “other,” too. Same here ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/14 "2011-06-10T23:00:37Z")
I’m a female and I believe that NOBODY should have to register for the draft. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/15 "2011-06-10T23:10:44Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I thin that if males are required to register then females should also be required to register. But I oppose the idea of a draft in the first place. > [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I picked “other”: ideally, I’d like for _no one_ to have to register for the draft, but if men must, then women should be required to, also. This. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/16 "2011-06-10T23:14:38Z")
In this day and age, I see absolutely no reason why women should be exempt from registering for the draft if we’re requiring that of men. And I’ll express a somewhat contrary opinion to some of the others here - I think that we should have a draft. No college exemptions, no dodging it by joining the National Guard, if you’re a congressman’s son/daughter - you’re on the list as well. Not that I think that we need to grow the military - I just think that if everybody had a chance of having to send a son/daughter off to the military, we’d probably be a little more selective in the fights we take on. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/17 "2011-06-10T23:21:10Z")
Female. I say they should not be required. However (and the poll options did not allow for clarity on this), I didn’t say that with any gender difference in mind. I said it because I think nobody at all ought to be conscripted, and that goes equally for men. In other words, the only poll options available implied a distinction of gender, but you ought to have included answers that do not distinguish based on gender. Since it seems the other responses are taking a gender distinction and male conscription as givens, the result is misleading because of the way the premise of the question is set up. Now I’m wishing I had skipped this poll. ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/18 "2011-06-10T23:33:13Z")
I don’t and I’m a woman. Men hold more status than women. Men still make more than women. For second class citizens women are having all the benefits they once had taken away. No one holds the door for us or gives up their seat. It’s NOT equal rights. It’s you have to take one like a man, but not have the right to boys will be boys. Good. So men can go to war and die. Pay me and treat me like a man, I’ll go die in your war. I find very disturbing the biggest vote at the moment is I’m a man and think woman should be required. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/19 "2011-06-10T23:34:32Z")
Another female answer, same as many of the above. I don’t believe a draft should be in place for anyone, but if it is, it should be for all genders - male, female and any others you care to name. But mostly I believe that if we don’t have the popular support we need to effectively fight a [del]war[/del] military action with volunteers and career military, then we shouldn’t be fighting it. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023/20 "2011-06-10T23:47:37Z")
Yes, in the case of war. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-american-females-be-required-to-register-for-the-draft/585023.md?page=2)