Why Register for the Draft? Why Not?

Sorry, Mr. Rostker, but when it comes to draft registration for women, I’m with Goldberg.

Until we get the gender issue squared away, however, young men still need to observe that significant rite of passage--registering for Selective Service when they turn 18. Unfortunately, a whole bunch of them here in Orange County don’t.

Don’t worry if you’re puzzled which side Rostker was on. The U.S. Supreme Court’s Rostker vs. Goldberg decision won’t rank in the history books with Marbury vs. Madison or Brown vs. the Board of Education. But here’s a hint: Bernard Rostker was director of Selective Service when the court’s 6-3 decision came down in 1984, upholding Congress’ right to exclude women from draft registration. Goldberg was one of three Eastern Pennsylvania chaps who had claimed gender discrimination.

I share Jimmy Carter’s sentiments (overruled by Congress at that time)--gender shouldn’t matter. But until our side gains momentum, I’m for young men doing the right thing by registering with Uncle Sam.

I bring all this up because there’s a young man in our neighborhood, about to turn 18, who’s toying with the idea of just skipping this whole registration business. His own private protest against the system. And it turns out he’s not alone. When I mentioned this to Lewis Brodsky, director of public and congressional affairs for the U.S. Selective Service System, he responded:

“I’m not surprised, based on focus group results we’ve been seeing.”

The Selective Service System reports that about 12% of the eligible young men--that’s close to 2 million--have failed to register.

And those are just conservative estimates. They jump significantly higher, Brodsky said, in urban areas and states with high immigration. That would be California.

“No question that California is one of our trouble states,” Brodsky said.

Blitzing the High Schools

In fact, it’s one of three states targeted by the Selective Service for a new high school campaign to hit in early March. The agency has produced a videotape that it hopes all high schools in the Southland will show, pointing out the what’s and who’s of Selective Service registration.

The list of who must register is quite detailed:

* All male citizens between their 18th and 26th birthdays. Even those with dual citizenship.

* All male immigrants of that age, legal or illegal. The exceptions are those here on student or temporary visas or part of diplomatic families.

* All disabled males of that age who can function in public, with or without assistance.

* All males of that age who are hospitalized, institutionalized or incarcerated must register within 30 days of their release.

All those eligible are supposed to register within 30 days of turning 18.

“Yes, you can wait until right before your 26th birthday,” Brodsky said. “But if you do, you’ll be breaking the law for all those years in between.”

The big question, of course, is register or else what?

True, Atty. Gen. Janet Reno has already said she won’t prosecute those who fail to register, citing lack of staff, especially since the volunteer military is working smoothly. But there are other serious sanctions.

An eligible male must show his registration card, for example, to apply for any federal or state loans or grants for college. And those men can’t get a federal job--like working at the post office--without such a card.

Immigrants required to register who choose to skip it cannot get citizenship. Here’s the biggest hook: Men over 26 who apply for citizenship are sunk if they bypassed registration earlier. Same if you’re over 26, didn’t register and want a student loan. You’ve blown it.

The loophole to all that, of course, is that you can get an exemption by claiming you just didn’t understand the law.

“But it’s a hell of a lot easier to just register and get it over with than to have to gather evidence to defend yourself,” Brodsky said.

The Catch-22 for illegal immigrants seems formidable, but it’s untrue, Brodsky said. They fear it’s dangerous to turn over their name to any government agency, including Selective Service; they worry their names will somehow wind up with the federal Immigration & Naturalization Service.

But that wouldn’t happen, Brodsky said. When you register, Selective Service doesn’t even know if you are illegal or not, or even an immigrant. That question isn’t on the form.

I called guidance counselors at half a dozen high schools with diverse student populations, and all assured me their students get considerable information about Selective Service requirements.

“If some immigrants aren’t signing up, I really believe that the longer they are here, the more information they’ll gain about the system,” said Bill Reynolds, a counselor at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove.

Many intelligent people contend that we ought to shut down all registration in peacetime. The House pushed for such a measure last year, but the Senate, with Clinton’s backing, decided we needed it to hedge against the unknown.

By the way, there is no move afoot on Capitol Hill to include women. But interestingly, Congress did ask Selective Service to come up with a contingency plan for a health care draft--doctors, nurses, etc.--in case of emergency. And in that plan, Selective Service reported that it would work only if women were included in the draft.

Goldberg and I say Amen to that.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Monday and Thursday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 564-1049 or by e-mail at jerry.hicks@latimes.com.