Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003290949_dgoodman06.html

I think there should be a draft and everybody serve at least two years in the service of their choice.

I'm in favor of MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE for ALL... and when I profess that on forums that have repervlickins in high numbers, you'd be surprized... or not... at how many of those chest thumping, pseudo-patriots run screaming from the room...

Thank you.

Why should the government be allowed to tell people that they HAVE to serve?...and risk dying?
People aren't allowed to take their own lives, so why should the government be allowed to take them?

Why should they not?

If somebody objects to serving in the military, send them to the peace corps, put them on community service for the city or the state.

You don't want to kill anybody there are many, many jobs in the military that do not involve killing another person. There are clerks, cooks, doctors, lawyers, police. etc.

I'd go to jail before I let the government tell me that I had to serve.

The government has no right to tell me what to do and not do with my life.

Americans have freedoms because some people are willing to put their lives on the line so we can enjoy them. If the country asks for something in return why not? As I said in another post. If people do not want to shoot that is fine, there are many jobs that are available without firing a gun or even holding a weapon.

Medics, clerks, cooks etc. There could be a community service organization in each large city. People could go there and be given jobs to do. Directing traffic, policing parks, many things.

President Kennedy said it well.

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but, what you can do for your country"

What if the government decided to stop all student loans, instead of giving students loans told them that once the schooling was over, they owed xxxx amount of service to the government. How about those that are getting food stamps and welfare having to do some type of community service to receive them.

I did not say to send everybody off to a war. I said that everybody should do some type of military service. I then amended that to some type of service.

Do you see a problem with even community service?

I volunteer at the Humane Society for four hours once every other week.

Isn't that a good enough service?


Edit: I don't believe that everyone should be forced to do something though.

I don't know. Do you feel that you are doing something that is helping community? But we are not talking about the here and now are we? I thought we were talking about everybody doing military service and then I ammended it to include military service and it was simply a discussion on what could or could not happen. Not a discussion on what you or I are doing now. It is a discussion about WHAT IF.

The question I knowing the way you feel about military service would you also disagree with someone being told to provide some sort of community service instead of military service.

People could volunteer at the nearest VA Hospital or a Community Hospital how about a childrens ward.

I was pointing out the service that I do. That's all. It's a "service," just not in the military.
And yes, it is helping the community.





Again, I say, nobody should be forced to provide services. Period.

This isn't describing a service done voluntarily, regardless of what the service is. Community service is done often by those who have first done something wrong against the community...Boy George's garbage duty comes to mind. I doubt if he'd have volunteered to do that if a judge hadn't given the order.

Americans have outgrown the sense of volunteerism that was more evident during the Kennedy era...and even beyond. They have become much more selfish in the last six years than ever before, though.. IMO.

I agree with that statement entirely. Maybe community service was not the correct word. But, in this scenario instead of military service, community service would be a option and by that I simply mean they are doing something that would help the community were they live. If we continue with this then we have to think that all able body people have joined the military so there would be plenty to do for those who choose not to serve.

I am simply wondering at what point, would someone feel obligated to do something to help the country. What would happen in the government put a stimulation on student loans and said that in order to receive a student loan you had to do some type of volunteer work within the community that you are going to school in and since Jobot seems to be a willing participant in the discussion I am asking for her input.





Why? We are living in a country that is free. We can go to any school we wish to go to, we can live were ever we want, we have a military to protect us, we have jobs, we can jump in a car and drive to the lake or whereever. Somebody paid for all this. People suffered so we can do what we do. Should we not at least do something in return?

After what's been happening in this country, why would anyone WANT to volunteer to be in the military?


And if not wanting to have to serve makes me selfish, so be it.