I feel so violated on my son's behalf! Today in the mail my 17 year old son received a Registration Acknowledgement Card from the Selective Service. He is not required to register for another month, so we have not done anything yet. Where did they get this information? I called and was told that some colleges send the information and also some states send the info of anyone with a driver's license. Yikes!

He had every intention of registering, his older brother is registered, his father served 20 years in the AF. I just am shocked that the choice of registering or not was taken away from him by some unknown entity! Kind of creeps me out thinking of our personal information being sent places without our knowledge or consent.

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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

if I not mistaken they all get one about 4-6 weeks before their 18th birthday! at least all of my grandsons did!
and I think the info come from high school registration because the government has that info since they give the school $ for each child enrolled and attending

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everytime I close my eyes I see the nails, I hear the cries! He did not keep Himself away! He walked a mile in my shoes........

Yep,they all get them before their18th.birthday.And they dog them to death to join during their senior year.They tell them how wonderful it is and all.Yes,maybe for those who WANT to join but not for those who are going to college.They called our house at least once a week after my daughter graduated and i kept telling them she was going to college and she was NOT interested.She is an only child.A female and has asthma.They are desperate.But they continued and kept saying what they could offer her.They had to take a required test in high school that shows their abilities and this makes them even more eager to push them to join.I eventually got angry with them and told them to never call my house again.They would do anything to get another body in Iraq.NO THANK YOU!

Can't be from a high school - mine never went, they were homeschooled until they went to college. Since we homeschooled without registering, they couldn't have gotten the info. My older son never received anything in the mail - we had to actively register him. I wouldn't have minded (too much) if we received papers in the mail to fill out, but someone already sent them in and registered him without his or our knowledge.

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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

I would bet that it was probably done when he got his driver's license (assuming he has his driver's license). Could also be from taking the ACT or SAT, or if he's applied for any financial aid for college...

Did he register to vote recently? that could be it, as well.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

WHOA! Wait.... I don't understand. What is the difference between "Selective Service" and "the DRAFT"?
I am sooo missing something!

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Long Lost ejm99 !

SHEEEE'SSS BAAAAACK!

here's info about how they got his info:
http://www.sss.gov/QA.HTM#quest6

All males between 18 and 25 must register

There currently is no draft, registration just provides a list to start with if there becomes a need to re instate the draft. My boys were both registered, but I wouldn't say they were "hounded". Not even as much as some colleges do! My younger son even took the ASVAB test (and scored highly) and was not pressured in any way.

It's a matter of choice, to live in the US. If we expect to get the benefits a government provides, we have to be "on the roll call list" I don't think that is too much to ask. I know it is very scary to think they might be asked to serve, but there are lots of alternatives.

I feel like I've been living under a rock or something! I TRULY had no idea that selective service was still required. I just did some goodling and read both pro and con literature (if you want to call websites literature that is) and I don't like it.

I don't want this to turn bad ...although I can see the possibility, but I am all about supporting your Country, and yes defending YOUR country. I really find it disheartening to find out that my son will be registering for selective service in just a few years; and not because we believe that it's the RIGHT thing to do, not because he wants to serve his country....but because it's REQUIRED BY LAW.

I don't know that I can honestly back that. When was the last time there was a war that WE, the United States were directly involved in that truly risked OUR COUNTRY? I mean we've jumped in OTHER countrys' fights but have we ever been directly involved?
I'm not forgetting Sept 11th -Please don't think I am...I just still can't figure out why we are in Iraq when last I heard our Prey was hiding out in the caves of Afganistan (sp?). How'd we make THAT jump?

Here's my deal in a nutshell. I don't have to LIKE the decisions our President has made but I respect his AUTHORITY to make them, even when I don't understand them. I figure that's why he makes the big bucks- to take the heat.
BUT ....
I find it hard to be supportive...of HIM... I'm 100% supportive of our Troops overseas, when there is talk of sending more. People in his own party and on his staff are saying we need to pull out of there..etc.
It really does make me wonder whether there is some ulterior agenda's being pursued.
Like I said... last time I checked Iraq and Afganistan are two very different countries....I think we're in the wrong one.
and the last thing I want is one of my boys drafted into a fight we don't support.
I don't know. Being that it's the LAW. My boys will register. I don't have to like it but like I said..it's the Law.

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Long Lost ejm99 !

SHEEEE'SSS BAAAAACK!

Thanks for the link tdejarnette - was most likely when he got his license that his info was collected. What makes me most worried is that someone REGISTERED him. They didn't send a request that we register just a confirmation that he WAS registered.

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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

Not arguing rightness/wrongness of it all:

When we moved from Texas to Montana and got our Driver's License here, we were automatically registered to vote. We were also added to the list for jury duty. We didn't asked to be registered to vote (just got our vote registration cards in the mail later), and we did not ask to be placed on the jury duty list (although I wouldn't mind serving on a jury, I fear I will never get past the selection phase as I worked at the Police Dept and KNOW all the officers )...anyway, I digress. My point is that it might be something new required by the fed./state govt. I don't know.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Thanks for the link. although I understand your point emj99, I do think we should have the selective service. Many countries require the same of their men. I believe in some countries, all men have to service in the military at some point. I think that by living in the USA, it's the least we can do (being put on a list). It's not a call to duty. It's a registration.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

If it's ok for men, why aren't we requiring women to do it as well? Just curious. Women live here and benefit from the freedom, why shouldn't they also be required to register?

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I agree but our equality hasn't reached that far yet

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I didn't read carefully enough, sorry! The only way I can see he would be automatically registered is this:

"CHECK BOX
Another way a young man can register is to check a box on the application form for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA form). A man can check "Yes" on Box #29 of that form, and the Department of Education will furnish Selective Service with the information to register the man"

Or maybe he registered online and forgot he had done it?

men have been required to register for selective service for over 100 years!

the old files are a great resource of info for genealogests

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everytime I close my eyes I see the nails, I hear the cries! He did not keep Himself away! He walked a mile in my shoes........

As far as I know every citizen has to have a Social Security number.
Children born here must apply by a certain age.
When you applied for a Soc Sec number for your child you have definatly told the Federal Governemnt the kid exists and his/her birthday.
Given that, you "leaked" the news a long time ago to the Federal Gov't. about how old your child is.
I think that is how they get on the Selective Service lists you guys are talking about.
Privacy is a thing of the past.

Registering for Selective Service is a just a formality.
"In case" of a drastic situation that would bring back an actual "Draft"

Also his SSN is on your taxes to claim him as your dependent. Thats if you do the long form and not the EZ form.

"Used to be... the guys signed up at 18. sure enough it was with Selective Service but it was commonly called the Draft cuz if your name was drawn.. you got Drafted.

If you want an good explaination of the word "Drafted", just talk to some Viet Nam Vets.
that was my era and I knew so many guys who lived in fear of the "Draft".
A Draft Notice ment , like it or not, you had to pack your bags.
There was nothing volunteer about it.

The Selective Service today does not force you to pack any bags.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that babies in the U.S. are not actually required to have a SS#. The reason I believe this to be true is a few years ago I became friends with a homeschooling Mom of six who did not have socials for her children. She and her husband believed that requiring numbers was "marking" their children (in the Biblical sense). Not at all passing judgment or wanting to start another debate, just explaining why these children did not have socials. What the catch is if you want to claim your child on Federal income taxes they must have a social. Also - hospitals, insurance companies, and public schools will lead you to believe you MUST have a SS#, and while most folks do, it's NOT a law. If a public school insists your child has to have a social, the courts have upheld a parent's right to request the school issue them an alternative number. Rather hard to obtain employment, credit or a driver's license without one, though.

Here's is the SS# website that might help with your questions:

http://www.ssa.gov/

I so agree with everything you said.I thought i was reading something i had written myself. :-)

As the spouse of an active duty Air Force member, I would like to add my 2 cents worth. First of all, you need not worry about a DRAFT, it is not going to happen! Recruiting numbers in most of the branches of the military are not down....so we still have plenty of foks electing to serve their country on their own. The government offers some very nice incentives to get people to join, the benefits are unmatched in the areas of healthcare and retirement pay, and the education benefits (so that you can gain higher education ie: college and further) are remarkable. Believe me, nobody who chose to serve in the military wants to be serving alongside someone who was forced into the job. Selective Service has been a part of our country's way for a long time. This is a safeguard against catastrophic measures.....you would want your country to be prepared. I really think our politicians would find themselves in a real pickle if they reinstated the draft. As far as peoplel who want to live in this country without being "accounted for" by some measure like a social security number....well, I think your "privacy" is a small price to pay for being a member of our society. I am not trying to flame anyone here, but I just don't get it. It is almost as if there are folks out there who want to live "on an island" and not be accounted for or accountable to anyone or anything. I am trying to figure out what the benefit would be by not having a social security number....no taxes? Obviously you can't work without a social unless you are employed by someone who doesn't account for payroll. Again, no flames here, I am very patriotic and proud that my husband CHOSE to go into the military. I would have done the same if the recruiters had not mentioned "boot camp" (I was still in princess-mode at the time and knew little about military life). Rest assured, joining the military does not mean you will end up in Iraq. There are many military jobs that never see the battlefront.

When you look at all the countries that have MANDATORY military service, I think we have it pretty good. Germany, Austria, Finland, Chile, to name a few.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

Obviously the person who doesn't have a SS number for their children aren't claiming them as deductions on their taxes!! (Or are these people paying taxes????)

I agree 100% with what you said, and Thank God we have men who consider it an honor to serve their country...I am very proud of our soldiers and our President....Tell you husband THANK YOU..for giving of himself for this country!! Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

Exactly what I was thinking.

OP states the notice her DS received was not a reminder to register, it was an acknowledgement that DS was already registered. Could it be that DS registered without Mom's knowledge?