More handpicked essays just for you.
Should we reinstate the military draft
Why we shouldnt reinstate the draft
Should we reinstate the military draft
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Military Draft:
An Analysis on the Benefits of Reinstating the Draft
The first military draft began when President Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act in the 1940s. This draft was active for about 30 years until it came to an end in 1973. The draft was a useful tool during these years, because the military was able to fill the spots that volunteering could not. All male citizens from the age of 18 to 37 were required to register for the draft and therefore eligible to serve in the military. Since we are in the midst of a military conflict there has been some discussion of reinstating the draft. Although, for that to occur Congress must pass legislation and then have the president sign it. Roosevelt was not far off
…show more content…
when he stated that every citizen has a duty to serve for their country, therefore I am not opposed to reinstating the draft because it is a citizen's duty, we could be prepared for any sudden wars, and it could maintain the freedom our soldiers have been fighting for since the beginning. Roosevelt felt that every citizen has a duty to fight in wars when he signed the Selective Training and Service Act.
I still believe his opinion on this topic is correct. Just like what John Fitzgerald Kennedy stated during his presidency, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” It is right for citizens to do whatever they can for our country and one of the biggest things they can do is fight in the war. Although, many citizens don’t have this same mind set because there are times when there are too many holes in the military because we do not have enough volunteers. If our country simply had enough volunteers there the draft would be no need for a military draft. Too many people in our country are not fulfilling their duty as a citizen. Therefore, we should need reinstate the draft since the citizens in our country are not taking on their duties and volunteering in the military on their own. As proven from the past, it hasn’t caused harm to create a draft and it still …show more content…
wouldn’t. It is clear there are many conflicts and issues occurring across the world, any of which could turn into a war at almost any time.
Therefore, with that pressure more people should be volunteering for the military, but of course they aren’t. Which suggests that reinstating the draft would be a good idea. With more soldiers, we could handle many more conflicts and situations since we could spread the military out and have them dealing with different situations at once. Not only that, but if a war were to suddenly start, we would have the numbers needed to be successful in the war. In almost any aspect, reinstating the draft has no disadvantages. It would only make our country's military stronger and more prepared. I also believe that reinstating the draft would bring the country together. If more people were fighting in the war then more people would care about it since they are personally affected by it. Therefore, I think it would draw the nation together as a whole, Clearly, reinstating the draft would be beneficial because it would create a bigger military that could solve more problems at once, prepare us for any sudden wars, and draw the nation
together. Americans have been fighting for our freedom since the start of our nation.Countless lives have been taken in the name of freedom. Therefore, I think it is important for Americans today to make sure that freedom stay in place since it has been something we have long fought for. Reinstating the draft would be able to do that because then instead of people taking their freedom for granted, they would appreciate it because they know what it takes to gain it. People would be more insightful because it would become a more personal issue. We don't all of those lives that were lost to go to waste, so we need to continue to fight for them. Not only would it protect our freedoms, but once again if more people were to understand the cost of freedom it could draw the nation together on an emotional level because we would all be equipped with the same understanding. Evidently, reinstating the draft would ensure that Americans don’t lose the freedom we have so long been fighting for. Obviously, the advantages of reinstating the draft far outweigh the disadvantages. In almost any aspect, it would be extremely beneficial to our country in various ways. For many reasons, it would draw the nation together as a whole, because it would create this whole other level of understanding we would have with one another; knowing that we are all enduring the same things. Not only that, but it is necessary for the citizens in our nation to fulfill their duty of serving for their country. reinstating the draft would also prepare us for any sudden war and could help us resolve multiple issues at once since we could spread out our forces. Lastly, it ensures that we do not lose the freedom our ancestors risked their lives for. All in all, reinstating the draft would be beneficial to our countries in various ways, which is why i believe that it would be smart for the government to reinstate the draft.
In 1944 the world was caught in one of the greatest wars of all time, World War II. The whole United States was mobilized to assist in the war effort. As history was being made overseas, as citizens learned to do without many amenities of life, and as families grieved over loved ones lost in the war, two students on BYU campus were beginning a history of their own. Chauncey and Bertha Riddle met in the summer of 1944 and seven months later were engaged to be married. Chauncey was eighteen and a half and Bertha nineteen as they knelt across the altar in the St. George temple five months after their engagement. Little did they know that in just the first years of marriage they would be involved with the effects of a significant historical event, the atomic bomb, as well as government legislation, the GI Bill, that would not only affect the course of their lives but also the course of the entire country.
An accountant might not be very great at shooting an aiming, but he will help the government budget the money to purchase more guns and weapons. Then again, a renound marksman would be better in combat, or even someone who went to a state shooting event and won over the whole state. Any one in shooting sports in fact! They'd be good at aiming and hitting. Someone with people skills could communicate for the army, but maybe she can't do the technical stuff of getting radio signals enough to make the phone calls and emails. The draft eliminates the ability for Americans to choose, and they are forced to serve in the military, when if they had a choice they might pick something still very helpful, but not dangerous or completely obnoxious for them. By reinstating the draft the government would kill the freedom of choice, everyone has a relatable skill set that could in some way benefit the government or military. So if the draft did come back, maybe they could change it so you can pick which job you'd like to train
This was the time the WWI one had broken out, the government need men to fight. They were short staffed for that to work and they need man to fight this war so the military started selecting citizen randomly to draft. Schenck fought against this draft saying this in a way it was like slavery. When the United States entered WWI in 1917, Congress passed a law called the Espionage Act. The law stated that during wartime obstructing the draft and trying to make soldiers disloyal or disobedient were crimes against the United States (Schenck v. United States).
People who support the military draft will say that it is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a period of national service. Aren?t there many other ways--less deadly ways--to contribute to the country?s well being? Should we, as citizens, be allowed to evade this ultimate obligation by turning it over to the poorer members of society, those who can't find good-paying jobs or training except in the military? In "A War for Us, Fought by Them," William Broyles, a Vietnam war veteran and the father of a young man who is a soldier in the Marines, argues that the military draft should be brought back, and this time it should be done right: everybody should be drafted, not just ?the profoundly patriotic or the economically needy" (Broyles 695).
On August 7th 1964 the United States Congress passed into law the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which, for all intents and purposes, officially brought the United States into the Vietnam War. Following this resolution, a draft was instated to increase the number of men that could be sent to war. Shortly after men started to be signed into conscription for the United States Military, a public outcry started over the use of a draft to increase military size. The draft was found to be unfair to American Citizens because certain groups of men were severely disadvantaged, the draft was illegal in many ways, and veteran’s future lives were harmed, among other reasons.
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. My textbook was not a source either. 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 my Western Civilization and Studio Art 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 townspeople of Los Alamos. Medical personnel at Los Alamos Women’s Health Services, and the lunch crowd at Café’ Allegro rounded out my poll. 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.
President Richard Nixon first introduced the draft in the late 1960’s. The draft provided a lottery style way to draft new soldiers. Americans were tremendously opposed to the draft for the Vietnam War, not because the draft was a bad idea, but because they did not want to participate in the war. They didn’t believe in the war, which in return, made them hate the draft. Whether or not people liked it, the draft was used in order to supply our nation with troops. The draft helped get soldiers on the ground in Vietnam. I believe the draft was not necessary because people did not believe in the war, the draft did not benefit our war efforts, and the draft was unfair.
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights (GI Bill), was signed into law on June 22, 1944, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012). It was a pivotal point in history, which has impacted the United States socially, economically and politically. Today, educational benefits are primary tools used to recruit service members. In 2007-2008, about 4 percent of all undergraduates and about 4 percent of all graduate students were veterans or military service members (Radford, 2011). Furthermore, the recent expansions in benefits increase the use of education benefits by veterans will grow almost 5 percent (Simon, Negrusa, & Warner, 2009). To improve the success in higher education, veterans must ensure they keep updated on current educational assistance programs as well as other educational services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and their institutions.
Klinger 's cry of the unwilling soilder being ripped from their civil life to serve is one commonly shared by men of this time period 1,751,820 of total forces serving in the Korean War were draftees. Being drafted means you did not have the option of not serving in the war. Men who were branned with the title, "draft doggers" were considered disunhorable and not loyal to their country. Klinger 's character brought to life on TV how some men were not okay with this draft culture. His character rebel like approach was not new making it able to be claimed as the archtype "rebel" but the fresh vision of soilders not wanting to fight in war or be drafted was something never before seen. This made it significant to our cultue to see this character be so daring and bold in such a strict war environment hit home that the draft may not be the best choice for future soilders. To expand upon that statement, the draft law expired in 1973 and was not renewed even though President Nixon asked for a two year
During the majority of the war, men were guided into civilian and military positions through a policy that the Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey called "channeling." The draft system used induction as a threat to "channel" people into more desirable pursuits that were in the interests of the nation. For instance, an engineer earned a deferment from the war because he was needed at home while a person who did not have a deferment could be inducted into the army. For every solider in combat, there were many other positions that needed to be filled...
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
In the month of April of 1862, the government issued the first draft of the Civil War. Throughout the war, they put out drafts because so many men were needed to fight. Citizens were expected to obey these orders, and as the war progressed, it was harder and harder for men to avoid fighting for their country. Towards the end, the government began forcing almost every able man to enlist in the army. Men of ages 17-50 were drafted in the South (20-45 in the North); bodies were needed. And the government made sure that they got what they needed.
...itary conscription in the name of freedom is an illegitimate, criminal organization. A government that is willing to enslave people cannot be trusted to protect your liberty. A government that forces people to fight for its goals, its protection, and its benefit has created a morally perverse situation where there is no free society left to defend” (Boldin). Another thing we must look at is without an overflow of troops; “unpopular wars are very difficult to fight. The ability to use conscription actually encourages politicians to wage even more wars;the massive resources are a temptation that is hard for the war-lover to resist. When the draft was finally undermined in the 1970′s, for example, the Vietnam War ended” (Boldin).
There are plenty of arguments for why the draft is wrong and unlawful, or even unconstitutional. When it comes down to basics, sending people involuntarily to war does sound pretty far from freedom of choice, but there is more to it than that. Understanding that it is a free country is one thing, but freedom comes at a price. Everyone wants to be free but not everyone realizes that there are times when we must fight to maintain our well-earned freedom. It is impossible in some cases to fight a full- blown war with just a volunteer army, and if it threatens our freedom, than we must fight the war with volunteers and draftees alike. In technicality, it may be wrong, but realistically, there are many times when a draft really is needed, and if run the correct way, it can be very effective.
Mandatory military service is a course to make a fit and capable citizen. First of all, military service can help one's character . More specifically it gives good tools so that people can work well in a team, be more organized in everyday event and good discipline. Secondly, it can offer education to people in need. Furthermore it will help people in bad neighbourhoods or is living trough a thought time and give those without the means to be in a home and have a job. Thirdly but not least mandatory military service could be looked at as a dept owed to one's country, loved ones who are protected if ever needed and most important to our right to democracy.