I was thinking about the discussion about equalizing the draft between both genders, starting with this:
To anticipate an argument, I believe that if we have a draft, it should be universal. However, I also don't think conscription is a good thing.
I don't find the idea of conscription, war, or military service appealing at all. At no point in my life do I want to be involved with any of those things, much less be forced to, and neither do I want anyone
else to be forced to.
Taking it to another level and at the risk of being misunderstood, if I had a chance to give half of the human race a choice about being involved in that, then I'd take it, even if I weren't part of that demographic. Just because that half happens to be female doesn't mean I'm a misogynist. I don't have the chance to say "No, I don't want to be a part of the draft", and I don't see why I should go force someone else to do it, too, especially when they're not required to at the moment. Should women have the opportunity to sign up for it anyways? Sure, I don't have a problem with that. Just don't force them to.
Don't take this the wrong way: I'm hardly Captain Chivalry. It's not about "protecting women" based on some notion that I have to protect the "weaker sex". It's about not forcing people to do things I personally don't want to do, regardless of race/gender/etc. If we have to do a balancing act between genders, let's not take away the rights of women in the spirit of equality. That seems counter intuitive.
Another possible benefit? Well, some day we may be able to get rid of compulsory draft altogether. If women are
allowed to sign up for the draft, but men are
forced to, we can reverse the whole issue and say, "Hey, that's not fair! Women have a choice!" Bam, suddenly a new social issue forces the government to toss the draft as it was out the window. The only reason to sign up for the draft would be for some misplaced sense of duty, or maybe a small check/tax write off from the government at the end of the year.
It's a round about way of doing things, but that's how things happen in the government anyways.