Required (Military) Service (for all High School Students)?

FOX ^ | Monday, February 04, 2002 | The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[vannrox]

This partial transcript from

[Paul C. Jesup]

Most the privileges that come citizenship have already been stripped me and most of the people of my generation, by the government.

This government is NOT worth defending because it treats it's citizens like slaves and it treats illegal aliens like citizens.

And that makes me sick.

[unamused]

Greeaaattt....a little 'Pubbie brainwashing to offset the 'Libbie brainwashing in the public skools. And we get to pay for both...
...maahhvelous...

[VietVet]

Then go somewhere else. It's a perfectly honorable choice. At least two of my ancestors left their native lands because they did not feel obligated to defend their current governments.

But don't be surprized if any other place you go expects you to acknowlege and perform certain duties in return for the rights and previleges their government is willing to grant you.

And don't come back whining that you couldn't find a country which would respect all the same rights you had here in the first place.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Why don't you leave, you're the one WILLINGLY supporting a corrupt socailist government.

[MikeD1]

I think that this is a bad idea. First, they only require you to do six months in a "National Guard" type situation, then who knows? Perhaps they'll pass a bill that requires you to do two years of actual service after that? If you give them an inch, they may very well take a mile. It may be imperceptible, but it could happen. Any nation that forces you to prove your loyalty to it would sound similar to that of a communist one, don't you think?...and we all know how well communism works, both in the military and political sense.

By the way, I HAVE seen/read Starship Troopers, and I am a high-school student. However, my father, who also thinks of this as a bad idea, has spent a great deal of time in the military, and has applied what he has learned to his parenting. Needless to say, I have just about enough structure for three people.

[btcusn]

I've always liked that idea. Would love to see it put into law. Think of the bs it would cut. No military service, no vote Sounds good.
Jack

[Captain Shady]

I've always liked that idea. Would love to see it put into law. Think of the bs it would cut. No military service, no vote Sounds good.
Jack

Never been in service myself.I think that if I were drafted,I'd feel better if the rich guys and college kids were also drafted.
The Vietnam war ended five years before I graduated high school.I have a friend who lucked out of that draft by serving a two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,and the war was over by the time the mission ended.
I did see the movie "Star Ship Troopers" with my wife and son and bought the video too.I wish that there was a sequel to it.

[btcusn]

Read the book, much better thsn the movie. After that, read more books by Heinlen.
He kept me company through many westpacs.
Jack

[Little John]

We are at war son. The bad guys have killed about 3,000 on 9/11 and attacked and killed Americans about 8-10 other times during the last few years. If the military needs additional men then the draft is a great way to get them.

In the past ,until Nam, soldiers (drafted and volunteers) served for the duration + 6 months. Even today Reservists are called-up to extended periods of active duty based on the needs of the military to protect this nation.

As I see it, those who do not join the Armed services during war time are beneath contempt. They hide in saftey while others fight and sometimes die to protect their freedom.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with being afraid about service but there is an eternal shame from shirking your duty when your country has been attacked oris at war.

The rationalizations based on some fictitious constitutional argument or a disagreement with American policy or some kind of inequity because the law may not be perfect or whatever are just plain BS. (My personal favorite is that if women don't get drafted then I won't go). It is easy to sit at a computer and proclaim your patriotism and conservatism ..... but actions in the real world are what separate the phonies from the honest men.

I suggest you carefully consider your actions.

Happy New Year and good luck !

[Jhoffa_]

I say NO.

They have effed up the military to the point where recruitment is a major problem in three of the four major branches. It remains effed up despite such serious efforts to un-eff it as giving everyone a black beret, "don't ask, don't tell" and the ever popular "Army of one" commercials.

And now that it's effed up real good, rather than actually address the problem (why aren't people joining?) their answer becomes conscription.

It's ridiculous and if they can't maintain their army in peace time (Don't give me the WOT.. Don't make me laugh) then I have no sympathy for them.

They did it to themselves and free market forces are the only way to force them to acknowledge and correct their mistake.

[Green Knight]

Personally I still like an idea I had a while back about allowing students to substitute their mandatory PE credits with JROTC classes, and having JROTC in every school. What's not to be liked about a class that teaches you how to march, read maps, gives you regular exercise, and teaches you discipline as well as American military history (From a Non-PC perspective)?

Hell, if at all possible, maybe the JROTC classes can be combined with the Target Shooting classes in those school which have them? Not only do you learn how to march, but you're taught marksmanship as well.

That would certainly be preferable to this Congressman's idea. Never been a fan of forced service and never will be.

[Little John]

...... They have effed up the military to the point ......

...... their answer becomes conscription ........

.....They did it to themselves and free market .....

I'm sure you can explain your position to the understanding fundamentalist lunatic who plants the bomb on your plane/train or sprinkles smallpox at your childs school.

I bet you were the guy who took his football home in a huff when things didn't go to your liking.

Instead of whining why not just say you are afraid and don't want to fight ?

[Jhoffa_]

I'm sure you can explain your position to the understanding fundamentalist lunatic who plants the bomb on your plane/train or sprinkles smallpox at your childs school.

I bet you were the guy who took his football home in a huff when things didn't go to your liking.

Instead of whining why not just say you are afraid and don't want to fight ?

You are aptly named..

If you have a problem with what I posted then I would appreciate you finding an adult and getting them to translate your foul tempered, insecure, little man rant into coherent english.

If you just want to trade insults, I have better things to do with my time than waste it on the likes of you.

[Little John]

.....Never been a fan of forced service and never will be.....

Damn near everyone I met was not a fan but they went when called ..... Would you go if drafted ?

Regards

[Little John]

That's a pretty aggressive response from one who refuses to defend his country because he does not like some aspect of military management.

That position sounds quite Clintoesque to me ...... you might want to try it out over at JaneFonda.com !

[Jhoffa_]

Again, you don't know what you're talking about.

(a common condition, I suspect..)

[Green Knight]

Honestly? Depends. Times have changed from when you could safely allow yourself to be drafted, knowing that your service was necessary to the security of the United States. For instance, in WWII you were assured of serving solely America's interests.

These days, you'd be pretty likely serving under the UN on some "Peacekeeping" mission, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to participate in crap like that. So I'm not gonna make my answer an unqualified "Yes" or "No", as the US is currently beholden to folks who don't do what is in its best interests, and in the case of the UN I WOULDN'T want to be drafted into a war that was fought at the UN's behest, not because it was in the best interests of the UN.

Point's moot, though, as I'm getting myself in shape for enlistment to the USMC in a couple months, and I may very well end up getting the short end of the stick and put under UN command at some point. Still, it's my choice, not the governments', whether I decide to serve or not. Just hope I get myself in shape sooner than later. Lost 40 lbs. over the last couple of months but I still got a ways to go.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

A new bill before Congress would require all young men to be available to serve in the military for at least six months.

SIX MONTHS? What kind of grabastic onorganized bill is this? It would take six months just to teach most morons how to tell their left from their right!

Meega, Nala Kweesta!

[Little John]

God bless and be safe .... I salute you.

[Junior]

This would be a nightmare. The military has neither the money nor the resources to devote to training up a bunch of uninterested teenagers who'll be gone in six months anyway. If I'm going to war I want it to be beside someone who wants to be there too, not some yahoo who'll cut and run the first chance he gets.