Reinstating The Draft

Reinstating the draft

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. 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 a couple of my 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 people in my neighborhood, and my coworkers at Rock Financial. 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. The results made me think twice about ever assuming anyone's opinion, and ultimately disproved my hypothesis that many people would agree with me about reinstating the draft.

My first search utilizing the Internet was easy and informative. It was also my first surprise. I assumed that our government was probably initiating legislative talks to consider reinstating the draft so my first site for information was the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System issued a statement regarding this issue shortly after the tragedy of September 11. The statement included a question posed to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at a Pentagon news conference about possible reinstatement. "(The draft) Ð'... is not something that we've addressed and it is not something that is immediately before us. At the moment I do not foresee the need to do that" (Selective, par. 2). The Selective Service System still maintains that "young men are reminded that they are required by existing Federal law to register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday" (Selective, par. 4). Despite not having a draft we still require our young men to register. I somehow find this a contradiction. I feel that requiring our young men to register for Selective Service gives our government a tally of who and how many men are available and ultimately who could be called upon for military service.

Further investigation on the Internet proved equally informative. In various news statements especially from the Armed Forces the consensus seemed to be an overwhelming "no" to reinstating the draft. I couldn't believe it, and I began to wonder why was I assuming almost automatically that the answer would have been an overwhelming yes. As my search continued I came across more articles with the same response. I could not find one article that was in favor of reinstating the draft. In the article "Resisting the Draft: A Survival Guide for Youth Of Color" it describes ways for young men "to document their opposition to war. Not necessarily just this war, but any war. This may help to get a conscientious objector exemption, and not be drafted" (Incite! Par. 3). Regardless of what the government or the military are saying now, activist groups are preparing young men with skills necessary to legally abstain from the draft in the unlikely event that the draft is reinstated.

I am stunned with all the information I have gathered. I could not believe no one was for reinstating the draft. I wondered where all the impassioned pleas for courage and freedom came from. My own passion for this cause seemed almost trivial. My logic for sorting out this issue of reinstating the draft seemed misplaced. I just assumed everyone would rush to join which of course is different than being required to join. I was now ready to implement my second strategy, an informal poll. Surely, the human response would be as impassioned as mine. I still assumed most people would be in favor of reinstating the draft.

Taking this poll was a lot of fun, and very informative, and I was hoping many would agree with me. I started with my Paralegal class. Most of my classmates are older than myself, late twenties and early thirties. They are forthright and have very strong opinions. I noticed the girls answered right away with "no" and felt it would be unfair for anyone to