The Draft Law

The draft bill has been looked over by congress again. Will the draft be reinstated? If it is, how will the nation react? Put your sentimates on the draft law here.

The draft SHOULD be reinstated. Actually I'd rather see ALL persons serve 2 years, male and female. It doesn't have to be training in armed agression, it could be some form of training that benefits the entire country. If ALL (and that means NO exemptions - except gross physical/mental disability) persons were trained we could all benefit in times of emergency or local or national need.
It would also give EVERYONE a common base. No deferrals, no transfers, no exemptions, no exceptions! No matter how good/bad one did in school - 2 years national service. Those in the program that opt for it could choose armed agression training to eventually go into the actual military service, but not even military service could be used as an exemption. It should be enacted now and should be retroactive for everyone under the age of 30.

My feeling about a draft is that the reason congress is looking at the draft is because of the preponderance of male babies being born in the world over the past 7-10 years. Follow the birth rates and you'll see where major military conflicts are predicted by preponderant male birth cycles. In my son's school there are two 1st grade classes. Of the 46 students, there are 31 boys and 15 girls. China forces the issue as do several other cultures where girls are either aborted or killed at birth.
The draft isn't so bad as long as you plan on going into the military. Government service would mean your plans wouldn't be screwed up - you'd already be going and if you wanted to join the military at the end, you'd have had valuable training, and the government will have had a test-drive of you. We'd end up with a better army/air force/navy/etc and a better country for all the service being done by all.

Wasting time, money and resources on training millions of men who'll never see action, is neither politically possible or a good idea.

Today's armies' are relatively small, extremely well trained and armed with the best equipment. And that's what is necessary, not large unmotivated conscript forces. Given this, the draft will not help the army, except in specific instances. In Iraq, the draft may be necessary, especially if other countries don't contribute. But only a temporary draft.

Besides, I don't see how the government has the right to take away 2 years of my llife, unless there is a clear necessity for the service.

The 'necessity' is that society as a whole will benefit. Persons entering college will be more mature and will probably have a better idea as to what they want to be when they grow up. In addition, my idea is that the manditory service would not be for armed agression training unless the person opted for it. I went to college at 14 and wasted my time. I had ideas of what I wanted to become when I went, but ran into all kinds of problems in actual practice. The same is true of my 7 oldest children, all of whom have graduated from college. If I had a dollar for everytime one of them changed their major and a hundred dollars for all that are not working in their major field I'd have enough for a great week at Disneyland with my 4 babies.
The last thing a young person wants to hear is that they don't know something because they are young. They think they know themselves. I still don't know myself and have 3 undergraduate degrees and 5 post-graduate degrees. We all need time away from what we are doing to allow our whims to blow away and our true desires to come to the fore. Besides, how does anyone know whether they want to be part of an armed agressor force and kill at will unless they've had the opportunity to test the waters? There are a lot of drugs in a trigger, and a trigger finger can be the most powerful part on an (in)human body.
Never forget that "Fire at will!" can be an intoxicating invitation.

Well, I'm not sure how training will suddenly give me purpose in my life. No doubt its an enriching experience, but its not the gov's job to tell kids to waste 2 years of their life, nor is it the gov's job to force parents to give up their kids.

I would rather be blowing up congressmen than Iraqis.

Force me into the military, give me training and weapons, I guarantee I will at some time become a disgruntled, violent man who doesn't like the government all that much.

It's easy for you to support the draft, squatteam, you're 60 years old. Forcing me to do something does not cause my new desires to come to the fore.

If the draft was reinstated I can tell you I'd be the first to dodge it, and all of my elders would support me in that decision.

If the old men think government service is so important, they can go for it themselves, because I'm young, angry, and somewhat stupid so I really don't give a shit how well our horrible society does anyway.

I hate war. I hate the military. I hate the way our Government enslaves our youth. I hate it now and I hated it when I was 14. That has nothing to do with reality. Do you think that your parents want you around the house when you're 18-20 years old? If so, you have unusual American parents. Do you really think that when you get your 'liberation' at 18 that you'll want to live with your parents? I don't think so.

I'M TALKING ABOUT 2 YEARS MANDITORY PUBLIC SERVICE!!!!!

I'm not talking about 2 years manditory armed agression training.

Take two years to try out your ideas about your future with no penalty (loss of money or time in school) and end up with training? Who loses? How much? And, if you don't think the government has the right to pull you in at will, try something simple like driving through a forest fire zone during a fire and find your ass out digging break zones etc. Generations before mine gave our government too much power over the individual. Some of my generation tried to avoid the draft as did a bunch of people during WWI. It is always an option, but you'll lose a lot more than two years, unless all those family members want to move to Canada with you, hey.

"If so, you have unusual American parents. Do you really think that when you get your 'liberation' at 18 that you'll want to live with your parents? I don't think so."
Just because I haven't joined the army doesn't mean I'm loafing around with my parents. Most likely, I'll be in university or taking a gap year.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT 2 YEARS MANDITORY PUBLIC SERVICE!!!!!"
The government has no right to tell me what to do. They can perhaps offer a job, but in no way can they force me. Unless, there is a clear and present necessity.

"Generations before mine gave our government too much power over the individual. Some of my generation tried to avoid the draft as did a bunch of people during WWI."
The government may only force its will upon us when there is a clear and present danger. Wars generally qualify, so I think Bush's push for the draft for Iraq is legitimate.

The government may only force its will upon us when it damn well pleases (see Iraq war in news).

"The government has no right to tell me what to do. They can perhaps offer a job, but in no way can they force me. Unless, there is a clear and present necessity."
There is a very good word that describes this entry: naive.
It really isn't like you. In today's news some developments:
{Bush's previously secret Feb. 7, 2002, order also agrees with Justice and Pentagon lawyers that a president can ignore U.S. law and treaties.} So, it is not only me saying the government can do what it damn well pleases, it is Bush, and the Justice department and the Pentagon. It will undoubtedly become all enmeshed in the 'Bush Doctrine' and become defacto 'law' for future presidents.
At the age of 47, living outside the U.S. and 20 years past my military separation, I was ordered to stand ready for call-up should the government deem it necessary because of my field of expertise. Death is the only thing that sets you free, but trust me...your family will still be dancing for this government long after you are gone. As for the government "offering" you a job, they'll tell you when to jump and if you don't, the job offer will be one in an orange jumpsuit in a Federal Prison. Sad, but true.

Just because they can and do things, doesn't give them the right to. It is every man right and duty to fight (physically or legally) for his right to freedom and law as the american forefathers did.

How do you think the public would respond. Not a lot of people think that this war is even justified.