There is a Time and a place for everything, for instance there were times when a militarized force wasn’t nearly large enough for an impending war as necessary to stand even that of a fighting chance towards victory. Our nation’s solution to this problem was creating the military draft, which most recently was used during the Vietnam War. The military draft, or Selective Service System, is Conscription, or in other words “forced labor demanded by some established authority” (Worddiq). “From 1948 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the armed forces which could not be filled through voluntary means.” (Landscaper) 2/3 of the American troops entered in that war were volunteers, while the other third were all draftees by lottery by birth. (Roush) Some might say "hey that’s only one third of our military, that’s not too many draftees." The only problems with that statement would be that the war itself didn't move towards our favor even with the draft. The draftees went through a rushed training session and entered a battlefield with nearly no experience what-so-ever, on or off the battlefield. Now, the U.S. military consists entirely of volunteer soldiers, and the draft has been discontinued, though while being discontinued, Government requests that all citizens sign for national service when they come of age to enlist. In common vernacular this means that government wants all citizens to sign what is essentially a draft form when our draft has been disbanded; this legal document will force some citizens to work for the government in a way remarkably similar to the draft. (Hasbrouck) Living near a large military base I constantly hear high school students stating that aft... ... middle of paper ... ..., or won’t be able to be taken in do to country boundary lines, such as places like Canada, and Mexico. The draft forces American citizens to work for the military in complete disregard to the individuals own actions, wants, needs, occupation, or goals. The famous "For the people" in the United States Constitution itself should safeguard the way of American life from that of the draft. The act of forcing individual citizens to join the armed forces, a potentially fatal occupation, should not be, or every have been, condoned by that of the American Government, the ones who are sworn to do their best for the people of the Unites States of America as a whole. Is the Military Draft somehow not unconstitutional, and if any case it’s not, how? The freedoms we citizens are promised in the Unites States Constitution should protect us from the reinstallation of the Draft.
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.
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.
“Through out most of their history, Americans freely defended their nation from threats both domestic and foreign. Only in their greatest conflicts - the Civil War, World War I, and the lead - up to World War II” (Forbes) they had to implement the draft. A draft, "called conscription in most countries, is the process by which the United States has, in the past, gathered members of its military. Generally, a man called to serve through the draft would serve for two to four years" (Rich). "Toward the end of the increasingly-unpopular Vietnam War, President Nixon led efforts to end the draft and create an all-volunteer military"(Nyden).
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.
The article also says the draft should be reinstated because, “More than 53,000 have been wounded, many narrowly survived by the miracle of modern medicine” (Rangel 1). Representative Rangel makes a very valid point but reinstatement of the draft would go against our constitutional right of freedom of religion because the 10 commandments state that “Thou shall not commit murder” (Exodus 20:13). Also the draft should not be reinstated because it is very unfair and will still be unfair because, “During the draft era, well connected parents got their sons into the reserves or less hazardous active duty”(Ruschmann 62) this would most definitely carry on to now because nobody wants their son to serve in the military. The armed forces prefer volunteers more than draftees because volunteers have “Chosen to accept the military’s culture of obedience and selflessness” (Ruschmann 41). Statistically proven ,all volunteer military has been the best force in American
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).
Generally, reinstating the Constitutional draft would solidify the meaning of being an American citizen. Often, wealthier and more privileged people are able to ask for exemption from serving, which makes representation of soldiers in combat composed of less-privileged citizens. With compulsory conscription, all American citizens, men or women, ages 18-26 are subject to be recruited for the armed forces. In fact, only 4 members of the 107th Congress who voted in favor of the Iraq war had children serving there. Politicians would know how it feels to have loved ones in a war, instead of freely speaking about wartime without experiencing it in any way.1 Moreover, Americans feel that public support for war in foreign countries is not strong because the soldiers fighting are p...
The way conscription is described is that it requires every young man or woman to serve in the military service for two years. In this description, "requires" is only a euphemism for "forcing". A requirement simply means it is not optional, which is exactly what forcing includes. Demanding that a young person change his or her life is immoral and should not be added to our society. Even if our country did not have freedom as our foundation, conscription would still be an iniquity.
The Selective Service Law, commonly known as the draft, requires all male United States citizens and non-citizens, including legal residents, undocumented immigrants, and refugees, through the ages eighteen and twenty-five to register for the draft through the Selective Service System. Those who do not register within thirty days of his eighteenth birthday will be penalized with a 250,000 dollar fine or a five year prison sentence. Those who fail to register will also lose federal benefits such as financial aid and federal government employment. The purpose of the draft is enable the military with more man power during times of war. The draft is currently in standby because the United States has an all-volunteer based military, however, the
I know your belief in conscription is a big thing but in a way it is a cruel thing. Against someone’s will sending him or her away to fight in a war that they may not believe in in the first place. Conscription in a war where fighting for your country is a good cause however fighting for someone’s beliefs is completely different.
More than two decades ago, President Nixon ended the military draft. Now a new and more menacing form of enlistment is threatening our school systems. This enlistment I am speaking of is that we are forcing "community service" to be a requirement for high school graduation.
Most people have, at one point or another, considered what they were going to do with their lives. Whether a person would like to become an activist, an artisan or a business professional, the military has something for everyone. Finding a path in life is often filled with uncertainty and procrastination. The United States military is a path in itself, should one wish to retire from it; however, should a person wish to make their own path, there are benefits for that as well that can remove all doubt and curb procrastination. Due to these many benefits, I believe that it should be mandatory for all adults to enlist for a minimum of twenty-four months.