Posted on 11/24/2006 9:29:46 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
ITHACA--Congressional leaders may be downplaying Charles Rangel's call to reinstate the draft but at least one newspaper in the Gannett chain thinks the Congressman has a point.
An editorial in the November 24 Ithaca Journal picks on Rangel's arguments and asks the following:
Would our leaders have made the same decisions based on the information they had to first invade and then stay in Iraq if it was their children on the ground fighting in the trenches? A draft would force all of us to consider the shared sacrifice required to wage war. That is a perspective that would weigh heavily on the nation's mind as well as its leaders.****Should the consequences of waging war be shouldered by all members of society the rich, the poor, the young and the old? Privilege shouldn't be a factor in deciding whether you have to go fight in Iraq, Afghanistan or any of the other war-torn theaters across the globe.
To date, the Journal may be one of the first "mainstream" papers to cheer Rangel's draft legislation. However, as part of the Gannett chain, it may not be the last. If that cheer controls to grow, it could only be a matter of time before the Democratic party finds itself the party that brings back the draft.
Both my kids graduated from Cornell so I am very familiar with Ithaca's Liberal bent.
How else are the newspapers going to sell more copies -- except by manufacturing controversy and problems to report on?
Mainstream media is the problem now -- and not the solution to ignorance and misinformation, which they themselves create to justify their continued existence and influence.
I wish they'd build a house or find something useful to society to do -- besides these counterproductive activities. Maybe they can help out O.J.? I heard he's hot on the trail.
Breathtaking stupidity, on State Street, in the City of Evil.
Does anyone else remember the military we had in Vietnam comprised largely of draftees and men who enlisted in the Air Force, Marines and Navy to escape being drafted into the Army? One of the results was called "Long Binh Jail" and most of its occupants were draftees and near-draftees who didn't want to be in the service at all. Discipline was a huge problem with the non-volunteer Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, and Long Binh Jail was filled with court-martialed soldiers, sailors and airmen for offenses such as drug abuse, failure to repair, murder, etc. We don't want to ever return to that.
The Selective Service Act (or Selective Draft Act, 40 Stat. 76 was passed by the Congress of the United States on 18 May 1917 creating the Selective Service System. The Act gave the President the power to draft soldiers.
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was passed by the Congress of the United States on September 6, 1940 becoming the first peacetime conscription in United States history. This Selective Service Act required that men between the ages 21 and 30 register with local draft boards. The age range was later changed to 18-45.
Go here for today's rules "WHO MUST REGISTER"
navel-gazing at its' finest...
Right. Do away with the college deferment and let's see how they feel...
I support universal service... every, I mean EVERY, person in this country who is between the ages of 18-26 must serve a minimum of TWO years in the service of the government at an equivalent job as an Army GI. ... minimum wage is sufficient for the government to pay them, unless they qualify to be paid higher. I don't care whether they are put into service in the US military, grabbing litter and swabbing the bathrooms at a national monument, or whatever... just make it SERVICE for their fellow citizens, and have that imply self sacrifice.
Let's propose THAT... see how many Democrats support it. I bet we could get a majority of Republicans to do so.
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