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On April 17th, 2000 I turned 18. The birthday came and went, and I did my patriotic duty as is required of me, what with being a male aged 18 years...almost. For you see, I did not (and still have not) registered for the Selective Service System. Sure, I registered to vote, but that is different. I am adamant in my stance of not registering to serve for the United States military.

The reasons vary greatly in why I have not registered to go fight for the American government. The first and most important is that I don't believe in fighting for the political system that is in place right now. I have been asked "What, you don't believe in democracy or the foundation in which this country is based?" That's not true. I think that the original setup for the framework of this country was initially well conceived, and to a certain point in it's history, well practiced. But somewhere after World War II, America lost it's way. No longer is it important for the best interests of the family or the people, only in protecting the corporate image. I mean, one only needs to look at the current election campaign going on right now to see that the winner, and the president that will lead America through the next century isn't going to be picked by the people, but instead by whoever raises and spends the most money.

So then if I don't believe in the government, I must be a freeloader who hates his country, right? Again, not true.I love my way of life and the land that I live in, and would not want to live in any country in the world.

I just don't feel the need to put my life at risk by having the chance to go fight and die for a cause that truly has nothing to do with our current way of life. Let's face it: Since W.W.II, America's future has not been in Jeopardy. I mean, the Soviet Union is dead, China is a trade partner and the true communist threat is dead. All the "wars" America has been involved in since W.W.II have been defending SOMEONE ELSE'S way of life. Do I give a damn about what happens in Bosnia? Nope. Sure, it's horrible people are being killed, but it's hardly any of America's business to go get involved over there. Instead, we get drawn into what really amounts to no more than a school house brawl, simply to protect the interests of corporate America. Fighting and serving in the American military no longer has anything to do with fighting for the land of America, only for the lands of someone else. It would be a totally different story if America itself was under attack as was the case with Pearl Harbor, but given the growing rate of technology and America's true advancements over the rest of the world, the only attack on America will come from inside America, not from out. And I'm quite sure that the current military forces can handle that.

Well, you might say, "Since there isn't a draft, the chances of you fighting are nil." That is correct. There is a very, very low chance of me actually serving in the military, should I chose to register for it. However, there is still a chance. Therefore, it's futile to put my hopes and dreams and my life at a risk, no matter how small, to go and fight and die for something that doesn't even matter to me. And don't think it hasn't happened (READ: Vietnam), because it has. This isn't cowardice, this is intelligence. You only get one life, and there is no point in risking it for something I don't believe is worth fighting for.

Yes, I realize that it is illegal not to be registered. But then again, it's also a bias law. Physically, men & women can both handle the exertion required to serve in the military, and yet 18 year old women don't have to register. If America is the land of the free and equal to all, why, in this age of political correctness is it that this aspect of America's defense overlooked? I mean, this isn't the 50's where women stay at home and cook and clean, this is the 00's, where women actually outnumber men population wise, and often do far harder jobs then men for less money, all the while balancing raising a family by themselves. It's this archaic grasping to a past that is just that, the past by the American military that I object to, and that is why I am not registering for the selective service.

I could go on and on about the past evils of the government and the brainwashing of past generations regarding serving in the military, as well as the blind signing that other 18 year old males do with their selective service cards without even thinking, but I hope that you have understood my point and my justification for refusing to cooperate with this unjust law. Until someone shows up at my door and legally holds over my head jail time/fines or signing a stupid card that, in reality, is signing away the control of my future for eight years, I am not signing a damn thing