People are faced with many difficult decisions everyday. One of the most difficult decision is putting your life on the line. Especially when you get drafted to war. When it comes to defending our country, the answer is usually yes to going to the war. The ones who say no, are usually the cowards. Think about it, could you go to war if you were drafted? I could not do it. I would not go to war if I was drafted, I would run to Canada. I could not go to war, because I don't want PTSD. It would be to hard for me to watch a friend die.”I imagined myself doing things I could not do-charging an enemy position,taking aim at another human being. I couldn't even watch the enemy die. We don't know those people, they haven't done anything to me. I know they were probably drafted just like me. It would be hard for me to try to forget all the blood shed. And it would be really hard for me to be okay and to try to forget that I killed …show more content…
“Courage ,I seem to think, comes to us in finite quantities”.And it takes a lot of courage to stand up for what I believe in, even knowing how things would go.I don’t think it’s right that we have to go fight in a war just because the President wants to go to war. The President doesn’t have to deal with the physical and emotional scars. The President also doesn’t have to deal with embarrassing their family because they didn’t do to war. I don’t think that my family should be embarrassed that I decided that I want to be alive and not die during a war.I think they should only take the people who actually want to fight, and just learn to deal with the cards they are dealt with. And they need to learn how to choose their battles. Not every problem is ours, and we shouldn’t lose people because they want me to fight in a war I don’t believe in. I’m most likely to retreat during battle and leave my friends hanging.The war not only has an impact on the soldiers, but also their families back
In a single quote to wrap up the book “When you stop believing, you stop going to war”. This quote is very true when we stop belief in the cause and the myth it will be different.
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
Ever since World War II, the last war that garnered full American support, the percentage of American citizens enrolling in the U.S. Army has diminished significantly. The U.S. is a major military power in the present world; American soldiers are engaged in many multi-theater positions, consequently dispersing troops over various regions worldwide. As only one in ten citizens has served in the US Army, American knowledge of military conditions is rapidly lessening along with the national harmony that complements such knowledge. Therefore, the comprehension that American security is closely associated with a formidable military never resonated within the greater part of modern American citizens. Although antiwar activists may decry compulsory conscription as unconstitutional, it needs to be reinstated in order to solidify the meaning of being an American citizen, boost the economy by providing jobs, and unify the American people with enhanced homeland security.
Although the United States has replaced a partially drafted army with an all-volunteer army, the Selective Service System stills allows men to be drafted if the military is too small (Olson-Raymer, par. 48-50). When the United States invaded Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Americans voluntarily enlisted (par. 55). Despite this, military personnel claimed that there was a shortage of soldiers, and a draft would be beneficial in the war effort (Thompson, par. 7). Fortunately, the draft remained and still remains unnecessary. Whenever a draft has been implemented in the United States, controversy has ensued. Some people think a draft
Soldiers like O’Brien were drafted to go to war and they were obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassment and guilt they would bring to their family and town if they decided to run away from the draft. O’Brien realizes that going to Canada was a pitiful fantasy silly and hopeless. O’Brien mentions that “He understands that he would not do what he should do he would not swim away from his country” (page 55). O’Brien illustrates that he has some visions of his family, wife, daughter, friends and people from his town calling him a traitor! Turncoat! Pussy!, when he tries to step out of the boat (page 57). Tim O’Brien mentions that he couldn’t tolerate it, he couldn’t endure the mockery, or the disgrace or the patriotic ridicule he also mentions that he couldn’t be brave enough to jump (page 57). The vision personifies his shame, his inability to withstand what others will think of him, and the responsibility to meet social obligations. The power of his imagination, shame, and embarrassment made him belief that the right decision is to go to war. It convinced him that it was worth dying to not be seen as a coward, to avoid shame. Tim O’Brien states “I would go to the war- I would kill and maybe die¬-because I was embarrassed not to” (page 57). O'Brien's decision is not rooted in what he believes is the "right" thing to do, but the thing society wants him to do and his
To each and every person, war means something different. For some, it is against the things they believe in, but for others it is everything that they believe in. In America, the men and women have the privilege to determine whether or not they are a part of serving this country by going into: the marines, navy, national guard, air force, etc. Previous to this choice being available, they had what was called the military draft. The military draft is where men from the ages 18 to 25 years old legally have to register with Selective Services where you could potentially be chosen to go to war. The inadequacy to register into the draft could result in the forfeiture of the rights and privileges that are given to the average American. With
Millions of men were called to serve in the Vietnam War. Sometimes, the men were drafted and did not have a choice. Unlike the gift-wrapped ideals of the war that were displayed to the United States, many soldiers would find that the military life would involve far more than “real man-sized action.” To the general public, soldiers were being drafted to be heroes, but once they were forced into war, less than heroic things occurred, and no one would be able to object. The law...
Most people are willing to die for the ones they love. People often will die for their loved ones because they would rather have themselves die than the other person. I would die for my country if I had too. I probably wouldn’t go fight for my country unless they needed me because it’s not what I want to do in life. I think it would only be an illogical idea to serve your country if you knew that it was basically just suicide mission. It would also be illogical if you didn’t want to do it and they didn’t need you
Being a young adult between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five can be very difficult. I know this because I am twenty-two years old. At this age, there are many concerns about the future and a career. Making many important decisions which will affect the rest of your life is common during these ages. This is the age when the majority of people are getting married, having families, and buying houses of their own. Many young men and women of this age group are graduating from college and ready to start their careers. Being a young adult can be very challenging; however, it can be the best time of life. These aspects of a young adult's life were not that much different during the Vietnam time period. Unfortunately, many of these men were not able to make these decisions. Millions of men were forced, drafted, into a battle that many "considered to be illegal and immoral (Maxwell 37). It's hard to imagine basically being forced to put life on hold, leave family, and risk life fighting a war. Some men were opposed to the draft, and were determined to find ways to avoid it; on the other hand, many men accepted the terms of the draft. I believe a person has a right to make his own decision about fighting in a war. In the Vietnam time era, the concerns of a man who was getting drafted went from bettering his and his families’ life to deciding to go to war or find an alternative. Going to war meant personal hardships, loss of income, leaving family, and potential of losing one's life. I can understand a person’s determination to avoid the draft. Whatever choice the men made, the consequences were dangerous and sometimes deadly. Until 1973, the choices of draft age men were to serve in the military, receive a deferment if qualified and ava...
"The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country” (-General George S. Patton Jr). Here within our borders we are the lucky ones, we have been blessed with the pleasure of so many brave men and women; to volunteer in the world's greatest military; and put their lives on the line for something that they believe is a moral obligation. But, think of some other countries, that have conscription (the practice of ordering people by law to serve in the armed forces) laws. We as a nation have some laws on conscription, and if you are male and above the age of 18 you have already signed the slip of paper stating that in the time of war; if our great nation re-instated the draft then there is a great chance you will be serving on the frontline of the next Great War. This brings me to my first topic of this page, is it ethical to have a draft? My second topic that I will discuss will be on if it is morally acceptable to "draft dodge". What I mean on the second topic is if you have a right; that morally allows you to not go fight in the war.
"But when shall we be stronger? Shall it be the next week, or the next year?” this is powerful at this point he is stating why not fight now, is their going to be a better time. They are as strong as they are going to be so why not? This is directed at the people who are not for the war.
When Tim received his draft notice on June 17, 1968, he felt lost and anger. He was not a supporter of war and back in college he had taken a “modest stand against the war” (39). He believed the war was an event that is unsuitable for him and had a firm belief
I know your belief in conscription is a big thing but in a way it is a cruel thing. Against someone’s will sending him or her away to fight in a war that they may not believe in in the first place. Conscription in a war where fighting for your country is a good cause however fighting for someone’s beliefs is completely different.
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...nd embarrassed with their true desires not to fight. There is no freewill at this point because they feel obligated to be the patriotic men. They are confused not knowing the reason for this war but that it is “to stop the Communists, plain and simple” (O’Brien 45). Unfortunately is it not plain and simple, even a million words would not be able to express the experiences that these young men endure. Unlike the Lone Ranger, the soldiers would rather flee due to the natural human instincts toward a dangerous situation. Yet, they suppress their true feelings and fight with all they have. As we can see, the ones that fight to help people that they hardly know are indeed the regular, normal, and everyday human beings. With this in mind, we cannot count on the Lone Ranger to come to the rescue; rather, the heroes are right before our eyes. They are an “everyman.”