Replies

In your father's day, there was a draft.

And fathers were exempt. But in my father's day, we didn't have summer soldiers and sunshine patriots, either. They went out and enlisted.

If drafted, I'd serve without thinking twice.

And you'd never be drafted. Funny how that works.

But for a 35 year old man with 4 kids to enlist with no foreign army on our soil?

Now you're moving the goalposts even further, I see.

"I have not yet begun to fight, and I have no intention of ever doing so."

BTW, about your age...

My oldest grandson enlisted in the Marines this summer. I went to Parris Island for the graduation ceremony. The visitor center at Parris Island is named for a man who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, at 50 years of age, with minor children dependents, completed boot camp, and proceeded to rack up an impressive combat record in some of the toughest fighting in the Pacific. And in 1942, 50 was pretty damn old.

I guess my father's and grandfather's generations were made of much sterner stuff than today's.

And fathers were exempt. But in my father's day, we didn't have summer soldiers and sunshine patriots, either. They went out and enlisted.

Now why do you suppose fathers were exempt? And you're comparing WWI and WWII to today? That's hardly a fair comparison. We haven't mobilized anywhere near the number of men we did back then.

And you'd never be drafted.

Why not?

Now you're moving the goalposts even further, I see. "I have not yet begun to fight, and I have no intention of ever doing so."

Your words, not mine. Personally, I don't give a cr@p if you think I would fight or not. This isn't about me.

My oldest grandson enlisted in the Marines this summer. I went to Parris Island for the graduation ceremony.

Good for him. How many minor children does he have to support?

The visitor center at Parris Island is named for a man who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, at 50 years of age, with minor children dependents, completed boot camp, and proceeded to rack up an impressive combat record in some of the toughest fighting in the Pacific. And in 1942, 50 was pretty damn old.

You're comparing 1942 to today. There's your problem. It's very possible that in the coming years, the situation in the world will become so dire that 35-year old men with 4 kids and single mothers will need to be called up to serve. But that day isn't here yet. And the fact that we're even discussing it means that our system as it is currently configured (or the administration's policy) is badly broken.

I guess my father's and grandfather's generations were made of much sterner stuff than today's.

Perhaps. I wonder what they would have thought of a single mother in the corps?