I am not discriminating against males by requiring them to register for the selective service while allowing females to do so at their own option; I am suggesting a method whereby anyone who chooses to register for military eligibility may be recognized as an adult (and as a citizen, by extension) for having consciously chosen to accept a potentially dire responsibility of adulthood in support of the nation sheltering them. Male, female, illegal immigrant, native, or national, at whatever age past the age of eligibility for military service (17, back in the day when I had to register; I think it's 18, now, though), I make no discrimination. Register or enlist, and you're an adult. Don't register or enlist, you're still a child.
The law might still penalize males who do not make that choice--which is, to my eye, wonderful grounds for a sexual-discrimination lawsuit--but that's a different battle and a different matter.
What I am suggesting is to remove the discrimination, and to lessen the arbitrary nature of the current age limits that are extant, by providing a means whereby one can point to an action as proof of adulthood instead of pointing to any one of several numbers chosen, from what I can see, based on expectations more so than on reality. |
