Abel named to La Salle County Draft Board

By Alyssa Kulpa
IV Leader Staff

    Over a year ago, nursing instructor Kim Abel was informed that the Selective Service was looking to fill vacancies on the LaSalle County Draft Board.
    Interested in becoming a new member, she sent for an application package through the Internet.
    Months later, Abel learned that she had met the requirements and criteria for becoming a county daft board member.
    The La Salle County Draft Board, inactive for more than 30 years, has gone without a permanent director since the 1970s. Abel decided that it was time the position needed to be filled.
    After being appointed by Gov. Rod Blagoyevich, Abel said she has some strong ideals to introduce to the board.
    "I happen to be anti-war, but I want to make sure people don't get out of the draft because they have certain connections," Abel said.
    Each Selective Service Local Board is composed of five citizen volunteers who are responsible for deciding who will receive exemptions from military service if the draft is reinstated. The board members choose who will receive postponements or deferments based upon the individual's circumstances and beliefs.
    "The board has been really fair and balanced in the history of America's draft," Abel said. "I always speak for myself, never for the Service."
    The board will remain inactive unless the government reinstates the draft. If that happens, the responsibilities of the board will include protecting anti-war citizens from being forced to fight.
    Abel believes a common misconception Ameri-cans have is that there are thousands of citizens who want to fight in Iraq, even if the government reinstated the draft.
    "First of all, a draft would be so politically unpopular," Abel said. "Some people say that we need to enlarge the Army. If those people are in favor of the war, they need to get over there and fight."
    Abel will leave for Peoria on May 12 to research people who say they can't kill another human being due to ethical or philosophical reasons.
    "We need to go into detail and look at the specifics of each person's reaction for not wanting to join the military," Abel said. "Our job is to decide whether those reasons are valid."