Do you feel safe in your home? Can you imagine not feeling safe in your own home? In today's society we face various threats to our nation, some of these threats are foreign as well as domestic. One of the biggest threats America faces today is terrorism. Is the United States strong enough to face that threat? Why take that risk. We should bring back the draft, and bringing back the draft would help America’s economy as well as its society as a whole. The United states military draft was first activated in the year 1917, and has been activated and deactivated several times since then. It has been nearly 40 years since the last time the U.S.A was required to activate the draft(“Elliott”). The last time the draft was required was the Vietnam …show more content…
Yet we continue to stick with the all volunteer force. General Stanley A. McChrystal, former commander of the international forces in Afghanistan, states “ I think if a nation goes to war, every town, every city needs to be at risk,”.What Gen. McChrystal was arguing was that if we get involved in a war that the whole country should be involved, not just the select few who want to be involved. Then author Thomas E. Ricks argues that when Gen. McChrystal spoke that it was the first time that a high a high profile military Officer has spoken out against the AVF, (all volunteer force)(Ricks). This just goes to show that even our military personnel agree that we need a stronger military. If we revise the draft we should include males and females ages 18 to 35, this would increase the size of our military tremendously. They all don't necessarily have to go to war either, Their are plenty of other government jobs they can do. For example, paperwork, and driving high military personnel around. Now with professional soldiers freed from low skills jobs we can now have more troops to protect our country …show more content…
For example former secretary of state Melvin R. Laird, he served as secretary of state from 1969 to 1973. Laird stated “Young people join the military for various reasons : skill training, education benefits, adventure. But the primary reason people continue to volunteer and serve, is to give service to our country”(Laird). In this statement it is quite clear to understand what Laird is saying, he is explaining that the people who volunteer to survive do it out of their own free will and they do it to serve our country. Laird also states “ each year about 160,000 young men and women volunteer for active duty(Laird). What Laird is trying to prove by stating this, is we don't need any more troops. In vietnam history website states that 648,000 people in the vietnam war were draftees not to mention volunteers.(Vietnam Statistics). If those numbers weren't enough to come out successful in vietnam and we have less than or equal to that now, what makes people think that we have enough troops to come out on top of a more dangerous threat,
Being a young adult between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five can be very difficult. I know this because I am twenty-two years old. At this age, there are many concerns about the future and a career. Making many important decisions which will affect the rest of your life is common during these ages. This is the age when the majority of people are getting married, having families, and buying houses of their own. Many young men and women of this age group are graduating from college and ready to start their careers. Being a young adult can be very challenging; however, it can be the best time of life. These aspects of a young adult's life were not that much different during the Vietnam time period. Unfortunately, many of these men were not able to make these decisions. Millions of men were forced, drafted, into a battle that many "considered to be illegal and immoral (Maxwell 37). It's hard to imagine basically being forced to put life on hold, leave family, and risk life fighting a war. Some men were opposed to the draft, and were determined to find ways to avoid it; on the other hand, many men accepted the terms of the draft. I believe a person has a right to make his own decision about fighting in a war. In the Vietnam time era, the concerns of a man who was getting drafted went from bettering his and his families’ life to deciding to go to war or find an alternative. Going to war meant personal hardships, loss of income, leaving family, and potential of losing one's life. I can understand a person’s determination to avoid the draft. Whatever choice the men made, the consequences were dangerous and sometimes deadly. Until 1973, the choices of draft age men were to serve in the military, receive a deferment if qualified and ava...
The GI Bill of Rights, or the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, provided major consequences for American society and changed the social and economic landscape of the country. The law made available to World War II veterans financial support in the forms of unemployment insurance, educational opportunities ranging from vocational and on-the-job training to higher education, and access to loans for homes or businesses.
On August 7th 1964 the United States Congress passed into law the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which, for all intents and purposes, officially brought the United States into the Vietnam War. Following this resolution, a draft was instated to increase the number of men that could be sent to war. Shortly after men started to be signed into conscription for the United States Military, a public outcry started over the use of a draft to increase military size. The draft was found to be unfair to American Citizens because certain groups of men were severely disadvantaged, the draft was illegal in many ways, and veteran’s future lives were harmed, among other reasons.
I never thought I would say this but I think we should reinstate the draft. It has been years since we have wanted or needed a draft, but in view of the United States being attacked on September 11, 2001, I feel our country must be ready and prepared to defend itself. If being prepared means reinstating the draft, a mandatory summons for military service, then I think we should consider this a reasonable proposal. I think the tragic events of September 11 will evoke most people to agree with me. Since September 11 we have seen a surge of patriotism in this country that seemed hidden for many years. I am so glad patriotism was not lost, and I think most Americans would be willing to defend their country in light of this attack. We are a nation and a people who believe in freedom and democracy. It tells other nations who we are and what we stand for. It is these beliefs that lead me to believe that the people of the United States will do anything to preserve our freedom and democracy even if it means reinstating the draft. I want to prove this notion, but am unsure how to accomplish this. I have not read any recent articles in newspapers or magazines that have dealt with this issue. My textbook was not a source either. So I decided to do two things. First, I went to the Internet for any information, articles, discussions, or statements relating to this issue. Second, I decided to conduct an informal poll. This informal poll consisted of male and female respondents with an age span of eighteen to sixty two. My poll started with classmates in my Western Civilization and Studio Art classes and the professors who instruct these classes. My poll included emailing friends and family who live and work in New York, family currently serving in the Armed Forces, and a family member who is a Veteran of the Viet Nam War. Also included in this poll is a random sampling of the townspeople of Los Alamos. Medical personnel at Los Alamos Women’s Health Services, and the lunch crowd at Café’ Allegro rounded out my poll. This cross section of Americans evoked many feelings and opinions and stimulated many conversations and critical thought. These conversations exhilarated me and the results I obtained amazed me.
President Richard Nixon first introduced the draft in the late 1960’s. The draft provided a lottery style way to draft new soldiers. Americans were tremendously opposed to the draft for the Vietnam War, not because the draft was a bad idea, but because they did not want to participate in the war. They didn’t believe in the war, which in return, made them hate the draft. Whether or not people liked it, the draft was used in order to supply our nation with troops. The draft helped get soldiers on the ground in Vietnam. I believe the draft was not necessary because people did not believe in the war, the draft did not benefit our war efforts, and the draft was unfair.
Many people in the 1960s and early 1970s did not understand why the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. Therefore, they had no desire to be a part of it. The Selective Service System, which was used to conduct the draft, had aspirations of directing people into areas where they were most needed during wartime. However, people took advantage of the draft system’s deferment policies to avoid going to war. Others refused induction or simply did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. The Vietnam War proved to be an event that many Americans did not agree with, and as a result, citizens took action to elude the draft entirely or to beat the draft system.
With the draft, the government had to pay for training and bunks, but with the volunteer army, the government has to pay them strictly to work. “Although the US military is called an “all-volunteer” force, it is equally valid to call it a “professional army.” Individuals may “volunteer” for a variety of reasons, but the fact is that everyone is paid-- and sometimes eligible to collect significant bonuses or benefits for having done so”(Wright). “A professional army comes awfully close to an army of mercenaries-- individuals willing to fight for anyone who can afford their services”(Wright). People may believe that the draft is cheaper than the all-volunteer army but in reality it costs just as much.
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
In the month of April of 1862, the government issued the first draft of the Civil War. Throughout the war, they put out drafts because so many men were needed to fight. Citizens were expected to obey these orders, and as the war progressed, it was harder and harder for men to avoid fighting for their country. Towards the end, the government began forcing almost every able man to enlist in the army. Men of ages 17-50 were drafted in the South (20-45 in the North); bodies were needed. And the government made sure that they got what they needed.
Some people say that women should be in the draft because nowadays, men and women should be considered equal. With the advancement of equality in the American society, these people argue that the armed forces should not be excluded from the growing new reputation America is trying to get. Hence, those who support women being apart of the draft argue this point. According to “Update: Women in the Military”, women have become way more involved in the army (1). From this, supporters of women joining the draft argue that their involvement in the draft should also reflect on their increasing involvement in the army. However, those who are opposed women being apart of the draft argue that equality within men and women is an unrealistic mindset. This is proven in the New York Times with Catherine Rampell’s when she writes “Women earn 92.2 cents on the dollar of what men earn” (1). This is a statistic from 2011 that shows people that complete equality between men and women has still not fully been reached. Furthermore, those opposed women and the draft argue that if America has not completely reached full equality within the genders, then neither should the army. Both of these articles bring up good points about why women should either be in the draft or not in the draft.
An accountant might not be very great at shooting an aiming, but he will help the government budget the money to purchase more guns and weapons. Then again, a renound marksman would be better in combat, or even someone who went to a state shooting event and won over the whole state. Any one in shooting sports in fact! They'd be good at aiming and hitting. Someone with people skills could communicate for the army, but maybe she can't do the technical stuff of getting radio signals enough to make the phone calls and emails. The draft eliminates the ability for Americans to choose, and they are forced to serve in the military, when if they had a choice they might pick something still very helpful, but not dangerous or completely obnoxious for them. By reinstating the draft the government would kill the freedom of choice, everyone has a relatable skill set that could in some way benefit the government or military. So if the draft did come back, maybe they could change it so you can pick which job you'd like to train
If there was a draft, there would be a lot more men and women out there fighting to keep our country safe so that we can continue to lay down at night and not be afraid of what might happen to us when we do. Our military is strong, but if there was a specific number of men joining every year or so, our numbers would be higher, therefore increasing our strength. Being in the military is something to be proud of, and those that join on their own are good people, but anyone that goes out and fights, draft or not, is still a good person and should have our respect. Most people see commercials on television about the armed forces and think that it might be a good thing to go do, I know I have, but some might not put any more work into it after they see it the first time. Having a draft would get rid of that part of them that doesn’t want to get up off the couch and
People who support the military draft will say that it is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a period of national service. Aren?t there many other ways--less deadly ways--to contribute to the country?s well being? Should we, as citizens, be allowed to evade this ultimate obligation by turning it over to the poorer members of society, those who can't find good-paying jobs or training except in the military? In "A War for Us, Fought by Them," William Broyles, a Vietnam war veteran and the father of a young man who is a soldier in the Marines, argues that the military draft should be brought back, and this time it should be done right: everybody should be drafted, not just ?the profoundly patriotic or the economically needy" (Broyles 695).
Ever since World War II, the last war that garnered full American support, the percentage of American citizens enrolling in the U.S. Army has diminished significantly. The U.S. is a major military power in the present world; American soldiers are engaged in many multi-theater positions, consequently dispersing troops over various regions worldwide. As only one in ten citizens has served in the US Army, American knowledge of military conditions is rapidly lessening along with the national harmony that complements such knowledge. Therefore, the comprehension that American security is closely associated with a formidable military never resonated within the greater part of modern American citizens. Although antiwar activists may decry compulsory conscription as unconstitutional, it needs to be reinstated in order to solidify the meaning of being an American citizen, boost the economy by providing jobs, and unify the American people with enhanced homeland security.
...itary conscription in the name of freedom is an illegitimate, criminal organization. A government that is willing to enslave people cannot be trusted to protect your liberty. A government that forces people to fight for its goals, its protection, and its benefit has created a morally perverse situation where there is no free society left to defend” (Boldin). Another thing we must look at is without an overflow of troops; “unpopular wars are very difficult to fight. The ability to use conscription actually encourages politicians to wage even more wars;the massive resources are a temptation that is hard for the war-lover to resist. When the draft was finally undermined in the 1970′s, for example, the Vietnam War ended” (Boldin).