Bringing back the draft would be a grave mistake to make for this country. Regarding this matter, Bradley Rosenberg’s piece (“The other America,” Feb. 12) was particularly disturbing and did not present the seriousness this issue deserves. Rosenberg based his argument on generalizations and personal opinion and called those who are not in favor of the draft to be “pansies” or “anti-war kiddos.”
The draft ended in 1973, because of the desertion of soldiers in the Vietnam War and corruption of the overall draft system. The Federal Justice Department reported that during the whole war, 206,000 people were reported refusing the draft and refusing service. Many of these people were of middle or upper class families. However, between the seven years after the Tet Offensive and the official end of war, over 93,000 deserted from the American army alone. In one government survey, over 41 percent of the army had only nine years of school or less. They were the working class, the people that didn’t get a chance to refuse the draft.
The concept of the draft was created because the government was in need of soldiers to fight in a war, to bring people in the war that they could never achieve in a volunteer system. After the war ended, the U.S. converted to an All-Volunteer military. Right now, there has been a call for a draft from U.S. State Representative Charles Rangel. The draft is completely unnecessary in our present situation. Since the September 11 attacks, there have been an overwhelming number of people joining the armed forces and there is no present conflict that demands an overwhelming amount of people for a conflict that has not even begun yet.
Rosenberg points out that if the government has a genuine need for soldiers for a conflict, then the draft should be necessary. It would make more sense for the American government to appeal to the American people by using the massive media force under its disposal, television or Internet, and ask them to join the war to defend America. Once the government feels that they have the right to choose who enters a conflict and who does not, you rob an American’s basic right to choose. A soldier would sacrifice himself in a heat of battle for this country, only if he or she chooses to.
“The draft can have many benefits. For instance, if enacted properly, the draft can lead to a more well-balanced fighting force,” says Rosenberg. The idea of a draft has never been, and never will, be applied fairly. For that matter, the army under a draft has never been equal. During the Vietnam War, while the draft was in place, 80 percent of the soldiers came from blue collar families. The children of politicians and the upper class were not in Vietnam fighting. Even if a draft is made that attempts to make the army more “proportional,” what is to say that some group won’t be singled out to go to the front lines and die. Contrary to popular belief, racism existed during the time of the draft and still exists today. In 1965, the combat death for blacks was roughly 25 percent! Nearly double their share of the population.
Rosenberg does present one valid point that it is a patriotic duty of every American to fight if our nation was in grave danger. However, the media leads us to believe that millions of people around the world are mobilizing, ready to attack us. This is from the fear and anguish brought on from the attacks on September 11. This is understandable, but the call to arms and the call to reinstitute the draft to fight the existing threat are completely unnecessary.
Rosenberg makes one controversial statement stating, “The draft is not about an evil government subjecting a quivering populace to the lethal onslaught of another nation.” Although many Americans do not consider the U.S. evil, they do consider what is going on in the world to be questionable. Many politicians and our government officials see our conflict with Iraq, as a nation with weapons of mass destruction that they feel must be stopped. But the protests and anti-war rallies seen across the nation and even across the campus see another picture in the conflict. They look at this as an excuse to attack Iraq and gain control of the oil production in the nation.
The draft should not be used in conflicts to preserve our interests around the world, but the idea should be used to protect this nation at all costs. If anyone feels that defending this country is a good idea, then go enlist in the armed forces. But anyone who does not want to fight and thinks about their family, their employment or their future is not a coward. The government should not force anyone who does not want to fight in a conflict that does not threaten the United States as a whole. The government has more than enough people who have volunteered to train and defend this country from harm.
The truth is that the draft did not work the first time, and it will not work again. The idea that it could represent the United States population is ridiculous. Anyone who disagrees with a conflict or protests should not be disrespected, but heard out, because they are an American and their opinion matters. Hopefully, if the time came around, and the United States was in danger from attack, from its enemies, we do not need a statement forcing people to fight.
– Mohamed Abdulla is a freshman biochemistry major.
– Benjamin A. Larrivee is freshman chemistry major and a member of the International Socialist Organization.