I look forward to reading your letters on this issue your military service, which, although you might not think anything of it at the moment, could become the central, life-altering issue in your life next week or next month or next year...
What if another war opened up on another front? What if one of our closest allies were attacked--England, say, or Taiwan--and we simply had to fight? (This would be different from the elective war we are involved in now.) What if our own borders were threatened?
We just wouldn't have the soldiers to respond.
Therefore, I propose that we reinstate the draft immediately.
In addition to working toward satisfying our need for military preparedness, we need a draft so that we can begin living up to our ideals as a nation. Do we really want to be a country in which the most privileged members of our society get to have freedom to enjoy the benefits of our nation's power while, disproportionately, those with the least opportunity for success must make the sacrifices to maintain it? I propose, therefore, we make this a fair draft, to include all Americans, male and female, in college or not, married or unmarried, and perhaps even "old" people (like me). Draftees would have to serve your country for a minimum of two years. There would be alternative ways to serve than soldiering for those with special skills, with physical or other disabilities, or with conscientious objections.
We must realize that every benefit we enjoy comes at a cost, if not to us directly then to someone else. Our freedom, which can be defined by the fact that most of us had never had to think about it before, is terribly expensive. The time has come for us to earn it.
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2 comments:
I agree with your sentiments, but I'm hopeful that it still won't come to this... but a draft where the warmongers' sons and daughters would have to enlist would hopefully mean the end of the war all together.
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