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Zach Nielson Instructor McDonald English 10-10 11/12/13 Reinstate the draft Many Americans belie e that military engagement should be our last resort! I" #e must go to #ar$ e ery American should be re%uired to sto& and thin' t#ice about #hether it is #orth sending our lo ed ones to "ight!(here are se eral &ros and cons "or reinstating the dra"t in America! (homas E! )ic's discussed some &ros in his New York Times article *+et,s Dra"t -ur .ids/0! )ic's agreed #ith 1tanley Mc2hrystal,s statement$ in #hich he declares$ *I thin' i" a nation goes to #ar$ e ery to#n$ e ery city needs to be at ris'34ou ma'e that decision and e erybody has s'in in the game!/5Mc2hrystal6$ )ic's decided to go more in de&th on Mc2hrystal,s thoughts and created an elaborate ser ice a&&roach design that included7 ser ice members &er"orming international social #or'$ along #ith arious le els o" ser ice term commitments$ and di""erent amounts o" &ay and bene"its "or di""erent military s&ecialties! 2urrently$ our system is set u& so that male citi8ens$ #ho are bet#een the ages o" 19 and 2:$ are re%uired to register #ith the 1electi e 1er ice 1ystem!$ (his is due to the "act statistical li'elyhood that men are su&&osedly most combat #orthy during this &eriod the ages o" 19 and 2:! (homas )ic's #rote #rites that$ *a re i ed dra"t$ including both male and "emales$ should include three o&tions "or ne# conscri&ts coming out o" high school/5)ic's6! -ne ;is "irst o&tion$ he goes on to &ur&ose$ #ould be to allo# that students coming out o" high school could choose to o&t "or 19 months o" military ser ice$ #ith lo# &ay$ but great &ost-ser ice bene"its$ #hich #ould include "ree college tuition! (he ad antage o" choosing this #ould be that one #ould not be de&loyed$ but instead could &er"orm tas's such as7 &a&er#or'$ &ainting barrac's$ mo#ing la#ns$ dri e generals around and so "orth<! =asically &er"orming >er"orming lo#er-

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s'ills tas' tas's so &ro"essional soldiers don,t ha e to! ;o#e er$ i" should they choose to remain #ith the military a"ter ser ing their re%uired 19 months$ they #ould be able to stay and mo e u& into the &ro"essional "orce and #ould be able to obtain #ea&ons "or training! Another -&tion o&tion t#o that )ic's noted in his article article #as being able the o&tion to choose to &er"orm ci ilian national ser ices$ "or a longer &eriod longer than 19 months$ but #ith the same lo# &ay! (his #or' #ould include teaching in lo#-income areas$ cleaning &ar's$ rebuilding crumbling in"rastructure$ or assisting the elderly! A"ter their the t#o years o" ser ice is com&lete$ they #ould be able to %uali"y "or the same bene"its as -o&tion -one$ such as recei ing tuition aid! In the (hird -&tion$ (homas )ic's also discussed the alternati e "or those #ho choose to o&t out o" the dra"t! ;e #rote$ *(hose #ho declined to hel& ?ncle 1am #ould in return &ledge to as' nothing "rom him @ no Medicare$ no subsidi8ed college loans and no mortgage guarantees! (hose #ho #ant minimal go ernment can ha e it!/ 5)ic's6 In his article$ (homas discussed the contro ersies behind these o&tions! ;e noted that critics #ould disagree #ould these o&tions< ho#e er$ America has already #itnessed "ar less benign "orms o" conscri&tion! )ic's &oints out that a ne# dra"t #hich u&holds the si8e and the %uality o" the current all- olunteer "orce$ &rotects the go ernment money through ci ilian national ser ice and releases &ro"essional soldiers "rom &er"orming tedious tas's$ #hich #ould a&&eal to many! (he argument "or this$ noted in the article$ eA&lains that the numbers don,t add u&! It deci&hers that #ith an a erage o" about "our million 19-year-olds annually$ they say$ there is solely no &lace to &ut all these &eo&le! ;o#e er$ )ic's argues that the go ernment is in need o" ineA&ensi e labor! Bith chea& labor$ the go ernment could do Cobs li'e &ro iding uni ersal "ree

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day care or deli ering meals to elderly shut-ins! I" too many &eo&le chose to do the 19-month military &rogram$ then a lottery system could be created and the remaining #ould be able to &er"orm nonmilitary non-military national ser ice! (he last im&ortant argument to note #ould be the &rice tags! (he article discussed the amount o" money that this &rogram #ould costDbillions o" dollars! ;o#e er$ it #ould also sa e billions< )ic's reasons that$ i" im&lemented broadly and imaginati ely$ being able to choose bet#een 19 months o" military ser ice or &er"orming ci ilian national ser ices #ould actually sa e us more money than it #ould cost the ?!1! taA &ayers &ayer! (homas )ic's goes on to state that$ *-ne reason our relati ely small military is hugely eA&ensi e is that all o" today,s olunteer soldiers are &aid #ell< they o"ten ha e s&ouses and children #ho re%uire housing and medical care!/ 5)ic's6 (he article eA&lains that some o" the ci ilian ser ice &rograms #ould hel& sa e the go ernment money! Deli ering groceries to an elderly citi8en could &re ent that &erson "rom ha ing to mo e into a nursing home! It #ould be "airly ineA&ensi e to house conscri&t soldiers on closed military bases! >ro iding homes "or ci ilian ser ice members #ould be more eA&ensi e$ but )ic's &oints out that imaginati e use o" eAisting assets could sa e money! (homas )ic's concludes concluded his article by stating that ha ing a dra"t could ma'e it so Americans thin' more cautiously be"ore going to #ar! Eenerally$ citi8ens disagree #ith the dra"t because they do not #ish to be de&loyed! Forcing a young man to Coin the military and ris' his li"e$ des&ite his desire not to$ could be argued as morally #rong! ;o#e er$ #hen it comes do#n to it$ it could also be labeled as a necessity! In times o" #ar$ the large loss o" troo&s seems li'e a smart and rational reason to en"orce a dra"t "or the >resident o" the ?nited 1tates!

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In considering As you read through )ic's ideas on reinstating the dra"t$ it may seem re&ulsi e to some because it goes against American,s rights, as a""orded by the constitution! but ;o#e er$ i" one as you ta'e ta'es a more detailed loo'$ you #ill one could see #hy )ic's is so &assionate about the ne# #ays #e can the ?nited 1tates could go about reinstating the dra"t$dra"t! #ith ric's 2onsidering )ic's, thoughts on the dra"t$ it #ould gi e dra"tees coming out o" high school o&tions #here #hich they they #ould be able to choose "or themsel es on ho# they could can gi e bac' to their country! )e ising the Dra"t (his re ised dra"t #ould be able to hel& our leaders to ma'e better decisions as #eather to #hether or not #ar is in "act the right thing to enter into do! >ersonally$ I agree #ith (homas E! )ic',s article! My ie#s on the matter could be maybe due to the "act that I am out o" high school and no# ha e a better understanding o" the *adult #orld/< nonetheless$ I belie e he shares some great ideas to re i e the dra"t! I" I #ere nearing the end o" my high school days$ and had the o&tions to choose 19 months o" military ser ice that included "ree college tuition and not be de&loyed or &er"orming ci ilian national ser ice "or a slightly longer &eriod$ but still be able to recei e similar bene"its$ I #ould gladly choose to hel& ?ncle 1am #ith -&tion -ne! Eenerally$ citi8ens disagree #ith the dra"t because they do not #ish to be de&loyed! Forcing a young man to Coin the military and ris' his li"e$ des&ite his desire not to$ could be argued as morally #rong! ;o#e er$ #hen it comes do#n to it$ it could be labeled as a necessity! In times o" #ar$ the large loss o" troo&s seems li'e a smart and rational reason to en"orce a dra"t! +i'e (homas )is's #rites$ there should be some rules and eAce&tions to the dra"t!$ un"ortunately?n"ortunately$ it seems that the a erage citi8en #ould rather sit bac' and blame the go ernment "or the &roblems and deaths o er-seas o erseas$ rather than get instead o" getting u&

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and go olunteer olunteering to do their &art to &rotect their the "reedom"reedoms o" those in this country! Not e eryone in this country #ill agree agrees #ith the #ar$ or #hy #e are at enter into #ar$ or e en ho# #e go #e,re going about it!$ but ;o#e er$ the reality is that someone has to "ight the battles$ and #e canGt al#ays rely on others to olunteer! I" you are a citi8en li ing in this country$ then you are acce&ting the bene"its and liberties gi en to you$ there"ore$ you should be #illing to "ight to &rotect it! Ne# 4or' re&resentati e$ 2harles )angel$ told M1N=2 re&orter AleA Bitt that$ more than 1H o" America,s &o&ulation shoulders the burden o" #ar$ and *sending our military to #ar should be our last resort!/ 5)angel6 ;e goes on to "urther eA&lain that be"ore #e enter #ar$ #e must reinstate the dra"t as it #ould com&el the &eo&le o" this great nation to thin' more cautiously be"ore sending our "amily members$ "riends$ brothers$ and sisters to enter a #ar #here billions o" dollars #ould be s&ent and the li es o" many may be lost! (here is no doubt in )angel,s mind that$/ this president and this administration this [Bush]
administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought

that their 'ids "rom their communities #ould be &laced in harm,s #ay!/ 5)angel6 For In my o&inion$ "or "ar too long$ the de"ense o" this nation has been on the bac's o" too "e#! (he military$ and the act o" going to #ar$ is something e eryone should be in ested in$ and not Cust a "e#! It #ill I belie e it #ould teach our nation se eral di""erent alues$ but most im&ortantly #hat to #e should alue! As a citi8en o" the ?nited 1tates$ I su&&ort )ic',s ideas o" a re ised dra"t! I" #e had a re ised dra"t in &lace$ I #ould be more cautious #hen deciding #hat truly is #orth ris'ing a li"e "or and #hat is not! Furthermore$ I agree and belie e that a re ised dra"t in #hich one could o&t into to do more community li'e ser ices$ #ould 'ee& communities sa"er and cleaner!

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I=ut men li ing in times o" democracy seldom choose a soldierGs li"e! Democratic &eo&les are there"ore soon led to gi e u& oluntary recruitment and "all bac' on conscri&tion! (he nature o" their #ay o" li"e "orces those to do this and it is sa"e to &redict that that is #hat they #ill all do!I 5AleAis De (oc%ue ille6 2hoosing to become a soldier is not an easy tas'! I belie e that it It is nothing less than a bra e and sel"less choice!$ ho#e er ;o#e er$ many more men #ould li'ely decide to hel& their country i" they #ere gi en more o&tions on ho# they could go about doing so! (his is #hy For these reasons$ I agree #ith (homas E! )ic's, article Lets Draft Our Kids!

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Works Cited )angel 2harels$ inter ie#er AleA Bitt$ 1e& 3 1013 htt&7//###!theglobaldis&atch!com/charles-rangel-calls-to-reinstate-the-dra"t-be"ore-committingmilitary-to-syria-10JK1/ AleAis De (oc%ue ille$ Democracy in America htt&7//hnn!us/article/1229Lsthash!)tM&omB2!d&u"