In 2003, on the eve of war with Iraq, a bill was introduced in Congress that called for reinstating the draft but with much fairer provisions than the one that was ended in the mid 1970s used to fight the Vietnam War. Back then, the poor and minorities were drafted much more often than wealthy white males who had connections and could use them to get out of the draft (Bill Clinton), or get nice national guard duty (George W. Bush, former V.P. Dan Quayle), or get medical deferments (Dick Cheney). Many other wealthy people got to use college deferments as a way to get out of the draft.
This new bill introduced in 2003 would supposedly eliminate all of these deferments and make it harder for American citizens to move to and live in Canada to evade the draft. The bill called for 2 years of service to the American government for both men and women between the ages of 18-26. The bill sat in committee for over a year and a half and then was finally voted down overwhelmingly (402-2 in the House on HR 163) a month before the 2004 election. Gee, what a surprise!
During the time period we're studying, World War 2, the U.S. also needed a draft to supply the soldiers to fight fascism. According to our textbook, 5 million men volunteered for the war, and the draft was expanded to include another 10 million. Currently, there is no draft. According to this CBS News article that I found, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/22/national/main2291979.shtml, sometime in the near future (before 2009 - the story was published Dec. 22, 2006) the government will test the Selective Service System which hasn't been tested since 1998. But, as evidenced by General Lute's testimony here, some people still think it's a good idea.
So, my questions for you are:
1. If drafted when you're old enough to fight in the war on terror, would you fight? Why or why not? Would it depend on the situation or is it important that you answer the call when your country needs you? Why?
2. If you had lived during World War 2 times and the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor (and you're of draft age), BOYS - would you have volunteered or waited to have been drafted? Explain your answer.
GIRLS - Would you have supported your father's/brother's/ boyfriend's/husband's choice to volunteer for the war or would you have encouraged him to wait? Why?
(100 words minimum for each question - 1 and 2 - is fine).
Before you answer, you may want to read this pro/con piece from a couple of veterans at Georgia Tech University. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~tpilsch/History/Reinstate.html Both of them bring up some very valid points for and against a draft.
Sources:
1. June 2007, Bush War Advisor Says Draft Worth A Look. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/08/11/3117/
2. Dec. 22, 2006, Military Draft System to be Tested.
24 comments:
1. If drafted when you're old enough to fight in the war on terror, would you fight? Why or why not? Would it depend on the situation or is it important that you answer the call when your country needs you? Why?
1. If drafted when I was old enough to fight I would not fight because if I do not want to fight in the war then I don’t think that I should have to. It is my choice and I think that I should make the decisions about what I want to do with it and be able to live my life without being shot at. Plus there is a big chance in wars that you are going to die. I think it might depend on the situation like maybe if the country was desperate but if they already had people over there then I would not because I not real big on fighting with guns and stuff but if I had to then I would fight.
2. If you had lived during World War 2 times and the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor (and you're of draft age), BOYS - would you have volunteered or waited to have been drafted? Explain your answer.
If I had lived in World War 2 times and if the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor I would have waited to be drafted. I would have waited because if there were other people who really wanted to go and I did not want to I would wait and see if they would go and I would just wait until I was called on so I could go to school and have a job. I also would have waited because if they wound up not needing me I would still have a job and the others would have to find one when they got back and I would be financially O.K. and not have to worry about being broke.
Brandon Miller
3rd hour
1/6/07
If i was called to fight in the war on terror i probably would not want to go fight. But i guess if i had to go fight i would. But i wouldnt want to go fight becuase by the time i am old enough to go and fight i will have a family that i will have to be there for. I guess i would appreitiate being respected and honored for going out and defending my country. But me going out to fight in a war that is really point less for us to be fighting is really something that i would really feel strongly against fighting in. Plus i do not think that my wife would be to fond of me leaving our family to go fight in the war.
Andrew Knox
3rd hour
Michael Weiner
1/5/08
Third hour
Would you fight if drafted?
1: If I was drafted to fight in the war on terror I would fight and not try to move to Canada. Obliviously if the Government starts drafting more soldiers are needed. By running from the draft you are implying you don’t support this war or you just don’t want to live on the edge… I would fight but I probably wouldn’t like it. I think being homeless or poor would make getting drafted easier, food, pay, and shelter. However I do not believe or agree with the fact that the wealthy got to sit out of wars except in politics.
2: If I were of drafting age and I knew I was going to be drafted I would join. Mainly because I like being in control over myself. By signing up on my own accord I feel like it was my choice. If it was iffy over if I was going to get drafted I would probably wait it out and see what happens.
If I was of draft age back in WW2 and I had not been drafted yet, I would have enlisted myself for many reasons. Personally, I was going to say I would have waited out until I got drafted but then I researched and learned that if you enlist yourself you get to pick what you are enlisting yourself in. For example people that just got drafted had no choice what they were going to do. But people who enlisted choose. They would choose from they army, air force, navy like those kind of jobs. Then I would get to pick what my job title would be so I would have a better time than being drafted into something that I didn’t even want to do. Another thing I learned is that mostly every body that fit the age requirement and was able bodies was drafted so you might as well enlist yourself.
NEW DEAL CHAMP!
Pat Rooney
3rd hour
1. If I'm drafted to be in the war on terror when I'm older, I would choose to fight. Is it important that I fight if my country needs me. I would fight especially if it was illegal not to go to war. If there was there case where I really didn't agree with the war, I might try to not fight. After all people should have the right to choose whether or not they want to fight in a war. If someone who was drafted chose not to fight, the government would probably punish them by raising taxes or something.
2. If I was living during World War II and Japan had just attacked I would wait to be drafted. I would wait to first see how involved into the war the United States was going get. I would wait also wait because I wouldn't want to risk my life by being in the army before I had to. I probably would feel bad about not supporting my country, but I would most likely get drafted eventually, any way. I think that most people would wait to be drafted because you never know what could happen to you once you start fighting. If I did end up getting drafted I would for sure fight because fighting back from Pearl Harbor is a good cause.
Jeremy Kaplan
1/7/07
3rd Hour
1. If I were old enough to get drafted into a war I would defiantly not fight. I don’t think that you should be forced to do something that you don’t want to do, especially if that something could kill you. So many people die in war and what if you don’t want to risk your life and see people you know or don’t know dieing all around you. There are nasty conditions and it’s something that some people just don’t want to go through. I think its important that people feel the need to defend their country but I just don’t feel that way, so if some other people want to do it than they should do it instead of the government forcing other people to do something against their will.
2. If one of my relatives was thinking about volunteering for fighting in the war I would have tried to talk him out of it because no one wants someone they love to go and risk their life and maybe get killed in the process. But I probably wouldn’t have been able to change his mind and I would have supported his decision of whether or not he wanted to fight in the war.
Tali Jensen
3rd Hour
1. If drafted when you're old enough to fight in the war on terror, would you fight? Why or why not? Would it depend on the situation or is it important that you answer the call when your country needs you? Why?
1)Never would I fight a war with no cause. If I was drafted, to fight this so called “war on terror” I would head back to Canada or Algeria. I’m not even slightly interested in fighting in this war. I’d rather commit a crime and be sent to jail than be drafted. My whole life my parents have set me up perfectly so I would not consider the Armed Forces, and I won’t let them down even the government tried to draft me for the war on terror. I have such negative thoughts of this war, because of how it’s been handled, and who has been profiting from it. Fighting would just make me feel like the rich mans puppet.
2.If you had lived during World War 2 times and the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor (and you're of draft age), BOYS - would you have volunteered or waited to have been drafted? Explain your answer.
2) In World War 2, I would have waited to be drafted. I would ask for a combat and hope I get a good combat position. This was too big of a war to ignore, this is the only war I would ever consider fighting in. It had too much on the line to just pass it off. The Japanese attacked us hard, and Germany was expanding quickly. The Soviet Union was neutral and the British were doing all they can with the Axis Powers. The U.S.A needed to be the balancer at the time, without us getting in the war and fighting with the Allies, the Axis Powers would have had world domination. For me having Hitler as a leader would be too much for me, I would do whatever I can in my power to prevent that from happening.
Mostafa Bendali-Amor
3rd hour
1.) I most likely would not go to fight a war on terror. It would also depend on the situation, if my country needed me and i thought that i could actually offer something that could help i would. To me the only way for us to keep winning wars is if we can stand together, and if there was a time where we needed to do that i would step forward.
2.) If i had lived during the world was 2 times i would support their decision to volunteer for the war because we had been attacked and we needed to fight back. I would still be worried and i wouldent want them to go but its also a matter of what is right, and i think it would have been the right thing to volunteer your life to keep this counrty safe,and its also not just about one person its about all of us.
Alex Moceri
3rd hour.
1. If I got drafted to war once I was old enough, I would still fight in the war. This is because I would want to help out my country to the best of my ability. Plus, if you are drafted to war, you are expected to fight. So, why would I get drafted then not fight? That just seems so dumb to me because, even though war is supposed to be awful and really scary, I still think that everyone in the army should fight to help out the United States. I also think that by fighting for our country we are being courageous and encouraging others to set up and join or fight.
2. If I was alive during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, I’m not quite sure what I would have done. If I was married with children at that time, I would encourage my husband not to go to war because if he died, then my children would grow up fatherless and I would have to take care of them on my own. Even if it was one of my brothers or my father, I still think that I would not encourage them to go to war because, even though it is selfish, I would not be able to handle the loss of a family member that close to me.
Amanda Biondo
3rd Hour
If I lived in the time of World War 2 and the Japanese had just bombed pearl harbor, I would have volunteered and not waited to be drafted. I would have volunteered because I would probably get to choose or get a better position as a soldier. If waiting to be drafted then you have a greater chance of being in a more dangerous position as a solider. I also think that you would have been in better care. You would have good cloths and other survival objects as the latter people to join. That is why I would probably choose to volunteer and not wait to be drafted into the army.
Ron Wexler
3rd hour
1. If I was drafted and old enough to fight in the war on terror, I wouldn't fight. I do not believe that most of the soliders dieing are dieing for their country, i feel as if they are dieing of inisent deaths from road side bombs and such. The war on terror, is a battle as much as it is just bombing. War was usually in my mind about shooting and attacking the opposing side, rather then throwing road side bombs and hoping their dead. I would answer my call to my nation, but in a different way, then fighting or getting killed inisently.
2. If you had lived during World War 2 times and the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor (and you're of draft age), Would you have supported your father's/brother's/boyfriend's/husband's choice to volunteer for the war or would you have encouraged him to wait? Why?
If I had lived during World War II and the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor and I was of draft age, I would most deffinatly, 100% supported my father/brother/boyfriend's choice to volunteer for war. I think that in that situation they should have stepped up and not waited. Pear Harbor was an important situation to have fought it. I would've been very proud of a close loved one that fought in it.
Mary
1. If I was drafted in a war I would defiantly fight for my country. I love the United States and would hate to live anywhere else and would fight for all the rights I have. I love that you can go out and say that I hate the president and no have a penalty for it. There are many places in the armed forces I think I could go. Also the experiences that you get in the army you can not get anywhere else. I would fight in any situation with out a doubt.
2. I would have volunteered to fight because that attack was uncalled for and just disrespectful. When they attacked it kill thousands of people and wasted so much money. I would be mad at would they did and would want to kill them. When someone makes a deliberate attack on your county and tires to say it was an accident it is just disrespectful.
Chris Elliott 3rd hour
1. If i were old enough to be drafted to fight in the war on terror, I definatly WOULD fight. If your country is in danger and needs you in a state of war, you, as a citizen, should respond to this countries cry for help. Although its been proven that war can completely mess you up for life, its better than having the possibillity of your family and loved ones being killed off. Another reason is the lessons you could learn from combat, learning how to fight better, improved disaplin, and survival skills. With all these reasons I think i can deal with risking my life for others, other than risking my life AND theirs by not fighting.
2. If I was alive during the assault on Pearl Harbor I think that i would choose to enlist myself. One reason is that i wouldnt be caught off guard and tied up with family issues and such. I would also feel completely controlled if someone told me i HAD to join the millitary. It also would give families sorrow knowing that their child/father had been taken away from them unwillingly.
These are a couple reason why i would not wait to be drafted, but instead i would go ahead and draft myself.
Dylan Scher
3rd Hour
1/6/08
1. If I had to go fight in war on terror because of a draft it would depend on the type of job and family I had at the time. If I had a good, money making job and a family of my own I would not want to go fight in the war. On the other hand if I was still looking for a job and didn’t have a family to look after, I would go. I think it is important to answer the call of the country because you should want to defend your county. If you worked hard in Collage to get a good job and you were to be drafted I would feel like I was throwing all that hard work down the drain.
2. If it were WW2 time and Pearl Harbor just happened, I would go and fight to protect the United States. I would want to have payback for how they destroyed half of our fleet. I probably wouldn’t have a job yet because I was still young and fresh out of college. I would feel like it was the right thing to do at the time because there was probably a lot of others joining as well. I would volunteer to go fight rather than waiting to be drafted because eventually sometime they would find you and draft you.
Ryan Feist
If I were to be drafted to fight the war on terror, I would most likely decline. I don’t think it was necessary for the war to start in the first place, and joining the military would just be approving it. If the U.S. is just acting as a babysitter in Iraq right now, I have trouble of seeing the point of having more troops. I also have plans of my own for the future, and I don’t believe that the government should stop or delay me from them. I also would not like to risk my life unless I choose to myself.
If it was World War II, probably would have encouraged my father's/brother's/ boyfriend's/husband's choice to volunteer for the war because the U.S. was under attack. In World War II, we were more directly fighting the country that attacked us in the first place. I also would have been pleased with the fact that my father/brother/boyfriend/husband choose to go to war, rather than it was forced upon him. If someone really wants to fight to defend their country, I wouldn’t stop them. It is probably best to let him fight than wait around at home in fear of another attack. The country then really needed people that were willing to enlist.
Leslie Preston
1. If I was drafted to fight on the war on terror I probably would fight. I don’t really support the war on terror, however I do believe in supporting the country. If I didn’t fight I feel that it would look unpatriotic and that I don’t back up my country. In some cases it is more important to answer the call when the country needs me than to not fight for a subject I don’t really believe in. The war on terror is a tricky topic because yes we did get Saddam Husain, but we also started a civil war. All I hear on the news is American soldiers getting killed without a lot of progress. I don’t really want to be one of those people, but If my country is in dire need I will fight.
2. I would definitely have supported my boyfriends or husbands choice of joining the war back during WWII. I would have been devastated after Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had no right to bomb us while we still had peace. If I had to fight in any war that would probably be the war. If it were my father on the other hand, I would tell him to wait awhile, just because he is a little older and I feel that yes he should fight, only if they need more men. If my husband or boyfriend died in the war I would be really sad, but I would also be proud to know that someone I loved defended the country that I love.
Barbara Moore
3rd hour
I believe if there was a draft to fight the war on terror I would not be needed to fight… I would have already enlisted. If the country is in such dire need of soldiers that they resort to a draft than I trust that they need them for right reasons. As long as the war is just, and it is for good cause, I would fight in it with hardly a second thought. I also believe that the draft should be non-discriminate to gender, unlike the Georgia Tech student said. If women believe that all people are equal in rights, then they are also equal in responsibility, and they should take just as much as the men drafted.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in World War Two, I would have enlisted to fight in the war. I would understand how serious the Japanese- and Germans- were about shutting down our country, and others. Maybe I am arrogant or ignorant towards war, but I believe that when our country is under attack, and innocent people are in severe danger, people who are able should do everything they can to stop it. World War Two was a devastating war with the most casualties, civilian and soldier, and I would feel horrible to sit back and watch as innocent people died. Even though we WERE responsible for the killings of countless people during the Nuking and just shootings of soldiers, I feel that more would have died if we did not fight, either through the holocaust or Germans quest for more power.
Patrick
1. If I were old enough to be drafted, I would not want to fight, and the only reason I have to not want to fight is that I don’t want to risk giving up my life. It is a sad and “stupid” excuse but I have a lot that I want to do in life and fighting for a war that I think is unnecessary is not something I plan on doing. I feel bad that I wouldn’t want to fight in this particular war but I don’t think this war is necessary. I know there is no way that the United States could pull out now; I would not want to fight in the war. I think that if we were in a war that had to do with my freedom I would want to fight but, I really don’t feel that this war involves me.
2. If I were alive during World War II I would have supported any man related to me, to go and fight, especially if it is what they want to do. I think that WWII was very important for the United States involvement, and if we hadn’t gotten involved the United States would probably be part of Japan right now, and we would have no freedom. I would have supported them because if it is what they wanted to then, there would be no way for me to stop them. I also think they would want to support the United States
Megan
3rd
If the U.S. senate reinstates the draft, I will fight, and will not attempt to flee to Canada or dodge it in any other way. I am planning to go in to the armed services anyways so this will not be that big of a step for me. I plan on going into either the Marines or the Air Force to be a pilot. If my country needs me, I will be there so that some of those who are strongly against or those who do not believe in the draft will not have to go. However, if we do, I'm not planning on being there long. I also believe that though war could potentially be scarring, I would learn a lot about discipline and what I can handle.
If I were alive and of draft age after the Pearl Harbor attack, I would enlist BEFORE I was drafted. It is important to not only be patriotic during was but even more than that it is crucial to end the struggle as soon as possible and to do that requires a large amount of troops. I would enlist prior to the draft because I believe I could get though fast and it would put me a step ahead from those who were forced to fight and it would give me a leg up. I would get through as quick as possible so I could strike while the iron is hot.
Will Kern
3rd hour
Jan 08
1. I would fight because not only is it mandatory in a draft to go if you are drafted, but also because I would fight to protect my country. It would not depend on the situation I think, because our country has done so much for everyone in it, that we should be willing to help it and protect the people in it. Everyone who is drafted should not go because they have to, but because they want to, and that is how I would look in the situation if I were ever drafted to go fight the war on terror.
2. I think if I had been the right age to be drafted when Pearl Harbor was bombed, I would go whether or not I was drafted. Back then patriotism was even bigger than it is now, it was everywhere, and thousands were willing to go fight for the country. The more people who volunteered would mean the less people having to be drafted, which would keep more people who didn’t want to fight, out of going over to fight. There were so many different threats that would in the end come to our country, and would be even harder to stop, so it would be important that I volunteered to go fight against them.
Ben Goddard
3rd Hour
1. If drafted when you're old enough to fight in the war on terror, would you fight? Why or why not? Would it depend on the situation or is it important that you answer the call when your country needs you? Why?
No, I would not fight even if I was drafted. I would be the last to throw my life away for this never-ending quagmire that is Iraq. I would give all I could to donate toward the ends of better arms, vehicles, rounds or any other war supply needed, but no matter what my situation, I will not fight this war. I would stand to defend my nation were there anything left to defend; our nation has crumbled during the war, and I am certain that more soldiers, more lives to be thrown away will not save anybody.
Alex Lindsay-
ART IS RESISTANCE
If I was old enough to be drafted to fight in the war on terror, it would depend on the situation I was in. If I have a good career and make lots of money (which I will) I would not want to fight in the war if I was drafted. I don’t want to risk it and get killed by a terrorist. The worst thing to happen is for somebody to take your life from you. When I die, I want the reason to something caused by me. Whether its old age, stroke, high blood pressure. The thought of somebody taking your life when you have-not reached your full potential is devastating to me. Allot of people have different opinions but that’s just how I feel. If I had lived during World War 2 times, and had been drafted to fight after the attack of Pearl Harbor I would wait to be drafted. Unless you’re very patriotic, or the bombing of Pearl Harbor killed your family or friends and you want some vengeance I think everyone would wait to be drafted. Eventually I would probably go, and if I did I would want to be remembered as a hero, not just a regular soldier.
If drafted, I would do all in my power not to fight. As a girl, I wouldn't want to to have to fight and kill people anyway, but as an American I don't think its fair. As infants, we're told that we live in a country where our rights are always in action, we have the freedom to do almost anything we want. All of the sudden, the government knocks on our doors to tell us we could possibly we dead in a few months...but at least we helped our country. I don't know many things that the country has done for me personally that would make me want to go out and fight. I understand it is our duty as Americans to defend and respect our country, which I do with the utmost respect, but who decided that people should randomly be recruited because "it is our duty as Americans". Overall, I would avoid the fighting, no matter the situation. Its not what I want to do, never have wanted to do it, or plan on doing it in the future, so there is no reason I should be forced to do something as dramatic as risking my life for the cause of something I have little information on, or has even affected me. Sure it might sound selfish, but its the truth. The same concept applies to those around me who would chose to enlist as well. If they want it, then by all means they should go for what they want, but if called upon by the government without fair warning, I would encourage my loved ones to wait and really think about if they would willingly give up their lives in order to serve our "great" nation.
Julia Henning
3rd hour
if i was drafted 2 war would fight because if u r there u got 2 fight. u will have a chance of living or dieing. and if u live u will have lots of honner and will love it. i think there is no point in war. all u doing is killing each other. there is no pint. i would hope that i wont get drafted because i will have a family w. kids and i will have 2 and want 2 there 4 them.
4th hour
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