In this day and age, is there really a possibility of the government instituting a draft for soldiers? The obvious answer is an emphatic YES. If it were not a possibility, then young men would not be required to submit the selective service registration at the age of eighteen.
I honestly have to say that it seems like it couldn’t happen in this day and age where personal choice is viewed not as a privilege but a necessity. People are consistently opposed to doing anything that they don’t choose to do themselves. In school, children dislike the teacher because he/she makes them do homework. At work, adults speak ill of their bosses because they are the ones dictating what needs to be accomplished. People have always been opposed to having their hand forced in any one way. However, there is one important difference now – America is the land of the free. The citizens who live in this country are dead set against being forced into anything, especially into harms way.
Granted the United States Military is a powerful force, they could easily force citizens to become members of the military. However I do believe that if they did so there would be a large number of people rising up against such an initiative.
President Bush has repeatedly promised that he would not institute a draft. He has made good on that promise. However I remember a time a few months back when democrats lobbied to institute a draft because they believed such an event would act as a catalyst to ending the war in Iraq. Needless to say, there was no draft implemented as a result of their lobbying.
This brings us to that great and encompassing question: how much power should our government have to draft young men and possibly women into the armed forces? For those of you who are currently enlisted in the military, I am curious to learn what your perspective would be on such an issue. If you are not involved in the military, we welcome your input as well.
