Draft???

[Fyzbo]

Lately I've been hearing people talk of a draft. I don't know about the rest of you, but this really scares me. Here I am an unmarried 20 year old male in great health, I'd be the first to go, and trust me fighting in a war would just about ruin my life if not take it. I just don't see how a draft is fair. So here is the question, if war were to break loose do you think that the government should be allowed to implement a draft?

 

[littlemar]

Do I want a draft? No - Is it necessary during a time of war? Yes

The Vietnam era also had a draft but was a lottery type. Almost every war effort has had the draft to keep our military in top form to protect our way of life. It's very sad that this has to happen but where would the manpower come from when needed. I already have a vested interest in this since my son is in the Army now and he's 22.

You would not be a normal young man if you weren't scared. No one wants to give up their lives in this manner.

 

[GreenIs]

I don't believe in Drafts. My reasoning is, is that if a war is bad enough people will find it within themselves the courage to fight for the freedom they want. I believe to die for a country is a choice, but to die for your family is something you will just do out of love. No one needs to be told to die or fight if the reasons are right.

 

[ComputerFix]

I don't think we will really see that point, and I am actually surprised by how much it is talked about.

1) GreenIs brings up a good point.

2) People are still enlisting, even with the high likelyhood of going to combat during their term of service.

3) I would think that a recall would take place of those recently departed from military service before a draft would have to take place.

4) I would be on the bottom end of the draft list (due to age), but would go if called upon, though I suspect that if things were really getting to the point of mandatory service, I would simply enlist.

To answer the question directly, yes. I think that drafts are fair. I live the life with the freedoms and protections I have because of, in part, our armed services. If they called one day and said "we really need your help" what kind of American, heck, what kind of person would I be to say no?

And yes, I would be scared too (I am mortal, and in no hurry to prove it).

 

[deuce]

I didn't vote and won't (at least yet) but in my opinion, there is going to be no draft. I am in the Army, (ROTC right now) and both the Air Force and the Army are making huge cut backs. People that were guarenteed active duty commision are being sent away left and right and told there is no room. In ROTC, the Army is exploiting every possible chance to kick people out because they have too many people in the Army and not enough positions to go around. And even though they are over budget, it's not a money thing.......in many cases in ROTC, they are letting people go without revoking their scholarship. They're just saying enjoy your free education but see ya we don't have room. Even up to last year or even October, the Army was saying "recruit recruit recruit"..............now they're saying get rid of them. So I just can't see how they can justify a draft if they aren't taking the ones who are willing and are the right people the Army wants. With a draft you don't know who you are getting and can't control if they are good peopole to take or not. However, the majority of the people I have been seeing cut are officers...............the situation could be that there are too many officers and not enough enlisted men...but I don't see that as the situation.

 

[valley]

I voted no. What kind of soldier can a man be if he is forced to kill someone else against his will?

 

[pyritechips]

Watch Canada's population grow when it happens.

Like it did in the late 60's, early 70's. It's hard to convince people to die for an unpopular, unnecessary war. People never knew about the horrors of war. The bloodiest, most horrendous war ever was the First World War, the "War to end all wars". The only witnesses to it were the survivors, who were shamed into putting on a brave face, and the press, who were forced to publish only supportive propaganda.

If any good came out of the Vietnam war was the fact that it was the first "TV" war. I think nightly images of the conflict turned many people's minds against it.

Ever since, (the "Gulf War" of 1991 is the best example) the government virtually expelled most press from the front lines and released only sanitized accounts of how they could do no wrong and how the enemy could do no right. The army even beat unwelcome reporters and destroyed their tapes; only officially sanctioned reporters were allowed anywhere near the action. It worked. I think most Americans (yes, and Canadians too) cheered on nightly as "Stormin' Norman" gave his nightly press conference and showed yet another bomb-site view of an enemy installation being destroyed.

Yes, I digress. But my point being, the government has sucessfully engineered another propganda campaign. There will be war, but likely a scaled-down version due to flagging support, which, in turn, is due to lack of sufficient evidence for war), but as Deuce said, there is no need of a draft; even if there weren't budget and manpower cut-backs, enough young men and women would dutifully lie their lives on the line for yet another useless conflict.

Those who fail to understand the past are doomed to repeat it.

Welcome to Iraq: "Vietnam, The Next Generation".

This poll is irrelevant.

 

[THoey]

Ex-Air Force here. I agree with Deuce. The military has been meeting / exceeding its quota for the last several years. Used to be anyone could enlist, but now, with so many wanting in, they are getting selective. Also, the military top leaders have said that they don't want a draft. They would rather have people there that want to be there, than have what they had in Viet Nam, etc...

As for me, I have been out for several years now, but there is a chance that they could draw me back to serve. If they do, and I am needed where ever I go, then I will have no problem with it.

I received a letter from Slick Willy when Kosovo was kicking up, recalling me from Reserve duty to Active. Ended up spending 57 days in MD, working an eight hour grave yard shift with 8-10 other people, actually only working for a couple of hours a night and watching CNN and the others sleep for the rest of the night. Found out that the only reason we Reservists were there was that someone announced that they would draw up the Reserves if needed, that info got passed along, and as my shop put it "Sure, we'll take a couple. We got people scheduled for leave and training during that time and we would have to go on 12 hour shifts to cover without them".

There were people that were called up, and it pretty much ruined their life. I had agreed to a great new job at a pay raise the morning I got that registered letter. I had to call them back and decline. One guy had just signed a note on a new house and his wife was having to handle all of the closing/moving, etc. Some companies will pay the difference between a persons normal salary and what the military pays them when recalled. Some don't. Bankruptcy, divorce, time away from children, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I served for 14.5 years and that was my choice. I am glad I did it and I got as much out of it as I put into it. But, by making that choice, I made myself available to be sent away at a moments notice, to earn less money than someone on the outside doing less work, to leave my (then) spouse in charge to handle everything, etc... At that time, that was my choice.

But if the REAL need is not there and there is no choice, it makes for bad moral and low effort.

 

[Fyzbo]

I see some great info and some good opinions here. Thanks for the discussion. I would like to bring up another point, one that is probably not necessary to bring up and might be touchy, but I would like to see what others think. If for some reason there is a draft, should they implement it in the same way as in the past, or should they open it up with the new era of equal rights and draft anyone from any age and any sex(even females )?

 

[cybergum]

I'm 15. The LAST thing I want is a draft. If they do decide to do it, hopefully the conflict will be over before I reach drafting age. (Of course, I can't picture them sending young people from small towns senselessly into battle. Again. But then, who knows. )

 

[jimi]

Fyzbo i have a little different slant on this for you, i didn't vote btw, that seems to be the trend of anyone who is/has had a military background, in the past the draft have always favored the more well to do in our society i.e. folks could afford to send their kid to college, you got an exemption, and sometimes the military looked like an out fro those with a finacial challenged family. my next point is the kicker - as a former soldier this comes into play - while the circumstances of it happening are rare, it just happened to a local guy. He has been out of the military for about 10 years and was re-activated last week since he posseses some specialized skills that are in demand right now. you think this guy isn't po'd, he did his time and now they come back say that they need him again, it is part of the deal, but no one ever brings it up as again it rarely happens. so if they do re-instate the draft i hope they remove all exemptions, this includes gender, except the hardship cases - that is truly the only fair system if it comes to that; i hope it doesn't.

oh and this gent that got recalled is 43, so at 41 I tell you what i'm sure glad the middle east is devoid of jungles.

Originally posted by valley20:
I voted no. What kind of soldier can a man be if he is forced to kill someone else against his will?

ever heard of Alvin York

 

[angelize56]

Fyzbo & Cybergum: I don't blame you for being scared of the draft. My son is only 13 but I'd fear the draft if he were of age. It's not really fortunate, but my son was born with a congenital eye problem which would prevent him from being in the military. The bad part is it also prevents him from being a police officer or firefighter, which is what he wanted to be. I think the draft would be necessary only if there weren't enough people enlisting on their own.

About the draft being male or female...I'd like to see it remain male. I know people won't agree....but I just can't see women on the front line during a war....especially were they captured by the enemy.

Take care. angel

 

[combsdon]

the question was "should a draft be allowed".

I answered ........no.

 

[angelize56]

Don: We agreed on something for once! Take care. angel

 

[LANMaster]

I have had to think long and hard about this question.

And I don't remember if I settled on yes or no, but the way the question is worded implies that we would have the power to dis-allow government from drafting.

Fyzbo asks if the government "should be allowed to implement a draft." Government will decide if a draft is necessary. If the population feels different, the only recourse is in the voting booth.

I don't believe a draft is necessary at this point. Nor do I see the need in the near future.

Some airhead liberal congressmen want to implement a draft ONLY to further their twisted political agenda of discrediting the President wherever and whenever possible.

(PS My Son is 18 years old)