Will I Get Drafted, Dad?   by: Rakesh Budhu (rakeshb@indolink.com) With the words, war, war, and ‘all out war’ being echoed on every television station, young men sixteen and older are wondering “will I get drafted?” In reality, you have to be eighteen to get drafted. However, the age at which teenagers are considered adults has decreased over the year, and young men alike all are feeling very pensive about the issues. After this past Tuesday, kids worldwide have something more to appreciate, even more than they had before. For they realize, that they have two loving parents at home, something others don’t. So as kids are appreciating those special loved ones, they are taking the time to communicate, something very healthy at a time like this. So as parents and their kids speak about the issue, it has been found that one of the most frequent questions asked is, “Will I get drafted dad?” The answer is, not yet. Facts checked, the United States Government has stated, at this point in time, we are “At War”, but the situation has to be truly escalated from its current standpoint to actually be considered for a military draft. Of the major armed forces, the army alone has over a million forces, which needless to say can fight the biggest of enemies, something Afghanistan does not qualify for. As we stand now, the enemy is Afghanistan, which is a small country. Its terrorists too represent a small proportion of Afghanistan itself and the supporters of the group are even smaller in size. Also drafted soldiers aren’t just thrown to the battlefield (as an innocent mind like myself may have imagined years ago), they must be trained. Training itself is a six-month project. Six months, in which experts say, this “war” may simply be over. So while you won’t be drafted, you can take this time to appreciate your parents just a little more. Realize that they go quickly and time passes just as fast, and that sometimes it takes such horrific experiences that makes us realize how important and special they truly are. Finally, as the Chief Officer of Government Affairs stated, “America is at War, And We All are Soldiers.” We probably won´t be drafted, but, we are in reality, soldiers of America.