I like Andy Rooney...

[curmugeon]

Let's make war an equal opportunity killer.... bring back the draft. Yes, draft anyone between the ages of 18 and 26 for two years mandatory service. No exceptions, no exclusions, if you're married, you still go. Why should anyone be able to not fight. Th only way you could avoid the draft would be join the military. The reserves would probably be a safer place to enlist, as with a draft we would not have the 'back door draft' we have now. Also the Army would not have to grant moral or mental waivers, in other words, no criminals or school drop outs need apply.

Comments

[djdig.livejournal.com]

I forget who the guest was on the Daily Show but they said, "If you want young people to be politically active, bring back the draft. They'll be stop the war rallys on every college campus in hours".

I am extremely afraid of the draft being reinstated because I am 22 and my brother is 19.

I think if the army wants more recruits get rid of don't ask, don't tell. I have a few friends from ROTC in high school who would gladly join up but are afraid of getting outed and kicked out.

[n6vfp.livejournal.com]

We had gays in my unit in the military, it wasn't a case of don't ask, don't tell, but we needed the bodies and as long as they were doing their jobs and not hanging with the locals, no one cared. And consider that my unit was composed of people with high level security clearances. No, a draft would end these wars, or make them so uncomfortable for the public that they would be short. Another thing from the last draft, we had no 'gangs' as all the gang members were in the Army fighting to stay alive rather than doing drive by shootings. You can always be a conscientious objector, then you become a medic. No, we need a draft... now

[djdig.livejournal.com]

I agree that a draft will get the war stopped much faster but being in the age group, I'm quite scared.

As far as don't ask don't tell goes, if just one person wants to accuse you, you're in huge jeopardy. For example, one of my friends wants to get her grad school paid for by joining up, but she knows if she ever got outed, she'd have to pay the service back for any money that was spent on her education.

Yay for Andy!

[flyvapnet.livejournal.com]

I, too, saw Andy Rooney's 60 Minutes segment tonight; and I completely agree with him. If we're ever going to link genuine "national defense" to making war, we're going to need an equitable draft.

Were an equitable draft in place, politicians would think twice before authorizing money to support yet another drawn-out and tragic invasion/occupation of a sovereign nation — assuming they want to be re-elected. Catering to the middle class via college deferments — or catering to religionists who think their particular church has a corner on the Ten Commandments market — would have to be headed off at the pass in any legislation authorizing a draft, if it's to be equitable.

No more damned loopholes! If "our" government makes war, either everybody goes or nobody goes.

If you've got asthma, tough shit. You can work in the orderly room. If your feet are flat, you can shuffle papers in the personnel department. Hanging around the mall, going to college, getting stoned and spending that nice middle-class allowance will just have to wait: For once, you'll have to pitch in and get dirty working for Uncle Sam's military — a burden which has been allocated to the working class for entirely too long.

War is madness and it's made by people who are themselves mad; and in that respect I fully support anti-war activities. But the primary anti-war activity should be engaged in by the Congress of the United States, which should "Just say 'No!'."

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