Im turning 18 soon and Ive heard that the law says Im required to register for the military draft. What are my options?
It is true that the law says that every male must register for the draft within 30 days of his 18th birthday. At present there is no actual draft. Your choices are not easy, but you do have them! Either you register or you dont. It is only after Congress reinstated a draft and you received an actual notice calling you up for military service that you could try to obtain a “deferment” (a postponement of military service) or “exemption” (a release from military service). At that point you could present information about medical or family problems, your objection to fighting in all wars (conscientious objection), or other reasons for not being drafted. These options are not available to you at this point. Some people register but place messages stating their opposition to war in the margins. This is a form of protest and does not necessarily have any legal significance later if you should apply for a deferment or exemption. The maximum penalties for non-registration are stiff (prison and/
