University of Virginia Library

Area Draft Organization
Becomes National Group

Charlottesville Draft Resistance is now
a "National Organization," according to
David Giltinan, who describes himself as
an "unofficial spokesman and part-time
letter writer for the group."

"This is a very important step for us,"
said Mr. Giltinan, "You can't shackle the
fascist beast and bring justice and light
into the world if you aren't a National
Organization. Join us gang," he added
"this is the big time."

"Being a 'National Organization'
might lead people to think that we have a
branch of offices in Berkeley," continued
Mr. Giltinan, "which isn't the case. Actually,
what we are is a national dis-organization,
which is all right with us. The important word is
'national.' "

Charlottesville Draft Resistance, which was
founded in Charlottesville, has been working
for several weeks on a plan to end the draft by
collecting 100,000 draft cards and presenting
them to Congress in what Mr. Giltinan calls "an
unprecedented gesture of civil disobedience and
contempt."

The feeling of the group is that one-hundred
thousand people is far to many for the
government to prosecute criminally. "Can you
imagine the trial? They'd have to hold it in the
Rose Bowl." said Mr. Giltinan, "Besides, they
have their hands full with resistance cases now
and there are less than five thousand people in
jail. The government just couldn't handle
100,000 draft cards, nor could they ignore
them. There is more disgust in a returned card
than any government can simply ignore."

The first step in the group's plan to collect
the draft cards was to have 102,000 pledges
printed on note-cards, to be distributed
everywhere possible. One signing the pledge is
obligated to return his draft card, but only after
100,000 others have agreed to do the same.
Charlottesville Draft Resistance plans to stop
the draft in four steps: (1) distribute the pledge
cards, (2) collect the signed pledges, (3) call for
the draft cards when enough pledges have been
returned, (4) take the draft cards to Washington
in conjunction with marches, music and
"whatever else can be arranged."

According to Mr. Giltinan, becoming a
national organization was necessary for the first
step. It involved co-ordinating Charlottesville
Draft Resistance with the national distribution
facilities of the Viet Nam Moratorium Committee
in Washington.

"Last week two of us took a borrowed car
with 95,000 Resistance Pledges to the Moratorium
Offices in Washington." said Mr. Giltinan,
"They have since distributed them to their
regional offices around the country in groups of
ten to fifteen thousand. What happens to them
now is up to us."

"The Moratorium people have agreed to
handle distribution of the pledge cards, but it is
doubtful if they will do much regarding
publicity for the effort. They have their own
Resistance program. We expect that the
regional offices will just sit on our cards unless
people ask for them. It is the duty of
Charlottesville Draft Resistance to see that
people ask for those cards."

According to Mr. Giltinan, Charlottesville
Draft Resistance will hold a meeting at 9 p.m.
Thursday in the South Meeting Room of
Newcomb Hall where the final details of a
publicity campaign to stimulate nation-wide
interest in the pledge cards will be worked out.

"This is an essential meeting." Says Mr.
Giltinan, "One way or another we are going to
have a thousand letters in the mail by next
week. They will be addressed to the people on
various contact lists that we have gotten from
groups like Student Mobilization to End the
War and to the media, college and commercial,
underground and straights."