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

[vannrox]

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Your concerns were voiced and addressed earlier in the discourse.


Military training has been very very good for me. As a Libertarian, you would expect me to believe in Live and let live. But we live in a society. All socities have laws and rules to live by. In the past, and in other socities, the parents taught the rules of societial behavoir to their children. But when the liberals started to take that responsibility away from them, they failed to replace this omission.


I am not necessarily advocating manditory ACTIVE Military service. But I am advocating Manditory military training and displine. There is a difference.


Countries should be governed by those who are willing to participate in it on a personal level. I repeat, it must be personal. They must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their brethern and their nation.


Nations whom themselves fail to require their leadership to maintain active participation in the society made manditory by the government develop a class system. Eventually turning into India.


To prevent this, countries are formed and instituted by men who are willing to participate at the most human level. To keep the country fresh and vibrant, this level of participation must be maintained. The moment the rulers or presidents of a country start to take their children to private schools and create special enclaves for them, is the moment that there is created a special ruling class. Destruction of the country is not far behind.


To keep a country young and vibrant, the youth must understand and participate in it. Political and military training is manditory for proper operation of a Republic. Not so with a Democracy. We are a Republic. (Last I checked anyways).



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[vannrox]

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My point is...


To keep a country young and vibrant, the youth must understand and participate in it.


Political and military training is manditory for proper operation of a Republic.


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[semaj]

"America should not be in the business of forced servitude."

I guess we should outlaw the personal income tax then, huh?

[WhiteGuy]

Our elected "leaders", who operate as our government,
have screwed up just about everthing they've touched for the last hundred years or so........

Look what a mess they've made of K-12 required government education.

Now they suggest mandatory military service?

Nonsense.

[Green Knight]

Don't bless me just yet. :P I may still chicken out. Plus I'm having a hard time losing the weight I've picked up over the last couple of years. I've lost 40 lbs, but I got another 40 to go before I'm down to 180. I thought I'd be in by this summer, but the weight loss has been slow going and so I'm still at it.

On the plus side, I may find a new job, soon. Once I have a steady income, again, I'll be able to afford going to a gym a couple blocks away from me. That's if I get the job, though, which I hope I do. That'll also allow me to go out and buy some guns, too. Be nice to have some firearms experience when I go in. Also got the US Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects, which I'd like to memorize, beforehand.

Whatever, the case, don't salute me til I've done it. It's taking entirely to long for me to get ready, and my 25th birthday is rolling around this June. And when it comes down to it, I may not do it. I hope I do, though. Just hope I get that job, after which things'll start breaking my way.

[Jonathon Spectre]

I guess we should outlaw the personal income tax then, huh?

Yes.

[Poohbah]

IN that movie, one had to serve in the military to be considered a citizen or have the right to vote. Radical notion and radical bug control.

Note that said service was completely voluntary.

[Ditto]

Anyway you cut it, mandatory service is contrary to the principle of a free society.

And ironically enough, at times the only way to maintain a free society. A conundrum for sure.

The pool of 18-year-olds is obviously far larger than our real military needs. And the costs of feeding, clothing and even minimal training of that pool are not insignificant.

With that said, the advantage of having 18 year olds even minimally exposed to military life (including familiarization with firearms) and the concept of National Service would I think have a lot of long term advantages and I think produce better, more aware citizens. Some may well be attracted to continuing their career in enlist in the military with their eyes more open than the typical recruit. A six-month tour is probably more than what is necessary for a program like this. Two or three months seems more reasonable --- just basic training.

[TLBSHOW]

America isn't about copying what China and European countries do, Congressman

BUMP