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

[Roscoe]

1. nor does it revoke the right to representation from those who will not comply with its wishes in the matter.

2. It is the taxpayer who wants the free lunch.

Backwards. You want to eat the free lunch AND decide what's on the menu, without paying your tab.

[arm958]

Military service should be strictly voluntary. However, no service, no vote. No exceptions.

[ctdonath2]

Might be kind of late to get trained when the enemy is at the gate.

"A well-regulated [i.e.: prepared] militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

I spend about $2000 each year to maintain and improve my tools and training. In addition I take DCM/CMP classes for gov't-provided instruction. I'm doing my part to provide a "well-regulated militia". Is the gov't providing enough VOLUNTARY and peacetime training to common citizens? no. DCM/CMP is the proper route for the gov't to provide training to non-military citizens, unfortunately it is woefully under-supported.

I understand the issue in question. The solution is NOT involuntary servitude, the solution is gov't promotion and providence of adequate voluntary training.

[ladyjane]

At least 20% of the students should be encarcerated!

You might be right! Many of these high school kids need discipline. But I'd hate to be the one to try to get them to even stand up straight.

[Little John]

..... Do you believe that all 18- 25yo women should be required to serve in the military, too? ....

No, I do not believe that women should be required to serve in the military ..... and that does present some problems regarding the Heinlein "no service no vote" proposals.

[rwfromkansas]

Avoiding the draft certainly is disgraceful, but if you mean to tell me that anyone who has not served in the military is a bad person, well....I will not even respond to that.

[rwfromkansas]

Don't bother responding to little John.....unless you are a vet, you are lower than dirt to him.

[rwfromkansas]

There are not other ways to gain such discipline and direction? Anyone who thinks this short, unfit guy will be able to do much for America on teh battlefield is deluding himself. Perhaps I could do some good elsewhere, but there are more built and fit people who could do a heck of a lot better in teh actual fighting.

[hove]

If you want to go fine....but remember, involuntary military service is one of the main reasons that America lost the Viet Nam war.

[rwfromkansas]

Thanks for pointing out your double standard.

[harpseal]

I believe if you recheck what I wrote you will see in my opening the following:

The militia concept is absolutely vital to the concept of liberty. It implies a universal familiarity with arms and operating as part of a military. It implies a local responsibility of every individual for his/her own defense and the defense of their community. I for one am in favor of universal training for everyone within the USA.[Bold not in original]

I clearly also am advocating mandatory military training for everyone. I also cited a portion of the Constitution which doea allow Congress the authority to enact such legislation.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[ikanakattara]

This kind of involuntary servitude will only serve to lower respect for the military. If we need to draft *men,* then let's draft them. Barring a fully-declared war, there is no reason to conscript anyone, *especially* women.

[Captain Shady]

Was I the only person who noticed that? Everyone else was too busy thinking it was a gung ho action film, while Verhoeven was subtly mocking them.

Well, I read about the commentaries in the paper when the movie came out.I recognized the Nazi-like attire of some of the officers also.However ,it was a dang good movie.

[harpseal]

There are not other ways to gain such discipline and direction? Anyone who thinks this short, unfit guy will be able to do much for America on teh battlefield is deluding himself. Perhaps I could do some good elsewhere, but there are more built and fit people who could do a heck of a lot better in teh actual fighting.

I have never met you personally and for all I know you could be three feet tall without a leg and weigh in at 400lbs. There are benefits you could garner from military training. There are also I am certan tasks you could perform or be trained to perform that would contribute to a military unit. No I am not talking about involuntary servitude but being able to perform for yourself your family and your community. Training in the use of arms gives one the ability to defend one's self and others. I for one think the most effective time for imparting this training is before high school graduation. I would like to see some of it begin in elementary school and continue though high scjool, and college.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - yorktown

[Ax]

Nateman, sometime ago I did a search of all members of congress to check on their military service. Ted Kennedy was in the U.S. Army from 1950-1952. I have to assume that he was US vice RA. His bio said that he was in the Infantry and he had served in France and Germany. I further read somewhere that he was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Paris -- this during the Korean War. Think the old man had a hand in this????

[realpatriot71]

Sounds good on paper. I'm suspicious that the government could one day use this service for indoctrination rather than any sort of education in citizenship. Imagine what a liberal government would be teaching everyone at this mandatory service . . .

Sounds great, but I just cannot trust the government enough . . . give me my foil hat

[VietVet]

I was speaking in the context of the proposal under discussion, which called for short term (6 Months) training and orientation tours for everyone, everyone, that is, who could legitimately be considered members of the Militia.

The (very real) difficulties you enumerate would not apply, because of the short tour, and because the Militia is, by definition, composed of the *abled bodied*, i.e, those physically fit for combat service. Pregnant women, or single mothers, do not fit that definition. Nor for that matter would single fathers, those with motherless children to care for.

[illbenice]

I am 18, and last summer when I finished high school I went to a recuiter. When I was nearing signing the final papers I did some research and found the US could force me to wear a UN uniform, I backed out of signing up right then. I will not serve any country, or fight any wars, but this country's. If you want to fight a tribal war suite youre self, but never force another man to give his life for a foreign conflict that does not concern us.

[VietVet]

Your list of training courses and objectives (for basic Militia training) is excellent.

As for convictions for crimes of violence, I would be careful about that. Some of the present laws banning such persons from the Militia (by forbidding them the right to bear arms) are absurd. A much more discriminating view of the matter ought to be taken: a shoving match between teen-aged boys is not a fist fight, is not assault with a deadly weapon, is not armed robbery or mayhem.

Some will note that much of the education programs which you propose could be taught in the Secondary schools, perhaps in PhysEd, perhaps in a Jr. ROTC or Cadet Corps program. But we can expect the current generation of 'educators' to strongly object to instituting such programs in the public schools. Moreover, there is a value in and of itself to going away to training camp in the company of one's age mates, and upon one's return, being placed in a unit of one's neighbors of all ages and social standings, there to share the bonding that working together towards common tasks brings. I do not feel that this experience makes one less of an individual, but rather makes one a better individual, with more respect for the other individual citizens among whom one lives.

[bimbo]

Can you really tell me that a teenager in todays America couldn't benefit from a little discipline and direction?

Of course they would benefit from a little discipline and direction - but this program won't give it to them. If you want a 100% military draft with no exemptions (sorry ladies), then propose that.