Why I want the draft(Charlie Rangel)

New York Daily News ^ | November 22nd, 2006 | REP. CHARLES RANGEL

[kellynla]

The question of whether we need a universal military draft will be important as long as this country is placing thousands of young men and women in harm's way in Iraq. As long as Americans are being shipped off to war, then everyone should be vulnerable, not just those who, because of economic circumstances, are attracted by lucrative enlistment bonuses and educational incentives. Even before the first bomb was dropped, before the first American casualty, I have opposed the war in Iraq. I continue to believe that decision-makers would never have supported the invasion if more of them had family members in line for deployment.

Those who do the fighting have no choice; when the flag goes up, they salute and follow orders. So far, more than 2,800 have died and 21,000 have been wounded. They are our unrecognized American heroes.

The great majority of people bearing arms for this country in Iraq are from the poorer communities in our inner cities and rural areas, places where enlistment bonuses are up to $40,000 and thousands in educational benefits are very attractive. For people who have college as an option, those incentives - at the risk to one's life - don't mean a thing.

[Steel Wolf]

However, this isn't all that relevant a distinction -- being an officer in WWI wasn't all that much safer than being a grunt.

Largely true, especially at the company level.

[agincourt1415]

RE: CHARLES RANGEL: Why do we have to see this guy on Hannity, and on the news? His IQ is 95 or less. He is a complete MOOONBAT!

[ErieGeno]

The great majority of people bearing arms for this country in Iraq are from the poorer communities in our inner cities and rural areas

So Charlie thinks that our troops are from slums or are country bumpkins while Kerry thinks that they are stoopid? It's just a damn shame that these idiots have to play politics with those who protect us!!!!!!

I would suggest that as a condition of being a member of congress that each member be required to spend four years in the military, after they are term-limited, to enjoy the conditions that they have created!

[redgolum]

What is interesting is that he is normally very socially and fiscally conservative. He was a pre Vietnam draftee, and is proud of his service, and thinks it would be a great way to "focus" and discipline younger generations. Which if you read Clausewitz (On War), is exactly what he thought a conscript army should do.

[goldstategop]

Its an ALL-VOLUNTEER military, Charlie. And even if what you say is true, which I don't stipulate to, why the dripping contempt for those who do valiantly serve their country at such great sacrifice? Our military is the finest, best educated, best trained and best equipped force in the history of the world. There's no need to demean them. We don't need a draft. What we need to do is support our troops. That's one thing you apparently aren't prepared to do yet - Charlie.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[goldstategop]

Charlie thinks a draft would have stopped the Iraq War. He's sadly out of touch with American history. Draft or no draft would never be a factor in a President's decision to do whatever it took to defend our country. That's his sworn constitutional duty.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[upcountryhorseman]

The Draft is now and always was unamerican! A voluntary force
is working well, just leave it alone.

[goldstategop]

He's a dummy. NO ONE IS FORCED TO ENLIST IN OUR MILITARY. WHEN THOSE WHO DO ENLIST COMPLETE THEIR TOUR OF DUTY, THEY RETURN BACK TO CIVILIAN LIFE. Sorry for all the all caps but you have to shout at morons like Charlie to get such a simple point across. They're so unbelievably dense when it comes to present day American reality.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Young Werther]

Last I helped to evaluate a speech contest for the local Lions Club. High School students addressed the topic, Peer Pressure and its effects on a teenager's behavior". One of the students compared the concern over 2600 military deaths in Iraq with the non concern/ignroance regarding the 22,000 teens who died during the same period due to drunken driving, STDs and other mayehm. Why, he asked is there no attention paid to this statistic?

We should as Charlie this question? Charlie during the past three years how many of your teenage constitutents have died due to gang violence, drunken driving and peer pressure behaviors?

[rochester_veteran]

2banana wrote:

I fought in Afghansitan - BME, MSME and MBA. I took a pay cut for year to be there. He can kiss my Slovakian @ss.

RedSoxBatgirl wrote:

I'm in a similar situation: I am a 26-year-old stockbroker, homeowner, graduated summa cum laude, have no college loans...and I enlisted earlier this year.

This Vietnam Era USAF veteran salutes you!

[Roses0508]

Interesting post. Among my friends, 8 of us have children in the military. Of that group, none of them joined the military for money to go to college and none of them have less than two years of college. My son has one degree and is working on second and is blessed with a trust fund for education. In one family, the young man my son's age is third generation in the Army. His grandfather served when drafted (I think Korea), his father is lifetime and he joined in junior college once the whole thing in Afghanistan began. He and his father are both currently in Iraq. This is a white middle class, generally conservative group. In my son's basic training class, the majority were also white - judging by the automobiles and clothing at the graduation ceremony, most were also middle class. The minorities in his class were latino and some asian - as I recall only two or three black persons in the whole group. I have the group pictures as reference.

I can see how a draft involves a larger segment of society, but if you talk to the military personnel - they don't want a draft. They don't trust draftees - particularly those who served during Vietnam.

I wonder if anyone has statistics on the relationship between the makeup of the military and the make up of society in general.

[mkjessup]

Charlie is more full of sh*t than tomorrow's Thanksgiving turkey.
Remind me never to eat Thanksgiving Dinner at your house!

OK, scratch one invitation. ;)

[traviskicks]

The draft myth:
http://www.neoperspectives.com/draft.htm

heritage study and USA today studies at bottom.

[traviskicks]

Front-line troops disproportionately white, not black

1/21/03 USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-01-20-army-usat_x.htm

[Enchante]

Scumbag Charlie Rangel agrees 100% with Jon "Vichy" Cary - they both think that only dumb poor lazy fools get "stuck" in Iraq.

Unfortunately for them, their insulting and degrading view of America's soldiers and Marines is factually false as well as obscene and dishonest.

[Dave Burns]

"70% of the volunteers in the city were black or Hispanic."

The white population in the NYC is only 35% and is over representative in the over 65 group.

[SandRat]

Charlie is using the same sad song he used to push for the elimination of the DRAFT --- SHEESH! What a DUFFAS!

[freema]

Ping

[Jack Deth]

The great majority of people bearing arms for this country in Iraq are from the poorer communities in our inner cities and rural areas

Actually, that was the core group scooped by "McNamara's 100,000" and the expansion of the Draft in the 1960s. Which miserably lowered the standards to accept Category C inductees across all services and damn nera destroyed the Military.

Rangel had better get his head out of his a** and escape his delusional 60s Time Warp.

I've been in uniform since 1972, when things were really bad. Worse under Carter and close to unbearable under Clinton. The All Volunteer Force survived it all and everything in between for the simple reason that all in uniform have signed a contract and want to be where they are.


Jack.

[wita]

Seems like Moron ought to be in there somewhere as well.