[Britton J Wingfield]

We have plenty of reservists that are ready and willing to go. A draft is an all-around bad idea.

[Rodney King]

The draft is stupid. There is nothing worse than soldiers who don't want to be there. There are easily 4-5 million Americans who would be willing to do it now, or at least with a good pay raise.

[Redbob]

Make mine a Dinkel Acker dunkel weizen.

Just don't make me say it aloud.

[Windsong]

One might as well allow women to sign up for Navy Seal training. Nah, they'd much rather be Army Rangers. Hmm..maybe even Green Berets!

[Cold Heat]

I would be in favor of it for border control. I would like to see some of the Bush bashers on border policy drafted so that they would be satisfied that something is being done...:-)

[RichInOC]

WHAT? What about sports?

[HairOfTheDog]

What about wonderful Draft Horses? can we talk about them?

[pabianice]

Ahhh... the sound of aged 60's hippie guilt, cowardice, and selfishness wafts through the spring air...

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

If I were a betting man, I would take pretty long odds from anyone who seriously believes that the military draft could be reinstated in this country. The social conditioning (ie, that everyone owes something to this Nation) is no longer there, and probably could not be revived in our lifetime. When the question is "What's in it for ME, ?", the Draft Board has to reply "Not much!"

No, we chose to stake the survival of America on a volunteer Military, and we will have to play that hand out.

Also, as I have noted elsewhere, the huge training base that would be needed for a massive draft simply no longer exists, and would take at least tow years to rebuild- even as a "crash priority".

[Tuor]

What is up with the font? Is this your doing or is this the article? Please...have some mercy on my eyesight.

Tuor

[ctdonath2]

"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." If they want to call up the militia, the right of the militia members to own their arms must be recognized. I want my M16; no M16, no draft.

[Sir Percy Hot Spurs]

If you want to take over a country one way is to have all your people join their military...The only way to prevent this is to have a draft...Sir Percy Hot Spurs

[steve-b]

To address Jack Kelly's statement, I would counter that if we were truly serious about winning the war on terror, and serious about homeland security, we'd better think seriously about reinstating the right to keep and bear arms.

Indeed. Since the message just won't sink into some skulls, the only effective defensive action on 9/11 was taken by private citizens, not the government.

[babylonian]

I say, reinstitute the draft and declare all illegals legal.

[Protagoras]

Another eloquent opponent of the draft was former President Ronald Reagan who in a 1979 column on conscription said:

"...it rests on the assumption that your kids belong to the state. If we buy that assumption then it is for the state - not for parents, the community, the religious institutions or teachers - to decide who shall have what values and who shall do what work, when, where and how in our society. That assumption isn't a new one. The Nazis thought it was a great idea."

The military draft is nothing more or less than a form of slavery.

[Willie Green]

There are, unfortunately, times when national security demands military conscription.

I can't side with either of the extreme opposing camps: those who want to abolish it totally, or those who'd implement it permanently (to staff various charity "volunteer" social programs).

IMHO, at the present time, the current system of registration without active selection is appropriate. If there were to be any change, I'd agree to having young ladies sign up for the lucky lotto on their 18th birthdays. There are suitable positions for them within the military. Perhaps not front-line combat, but they provide useful service to their nation in time of need as well.

[mc5cents]

Draft Beer, Not Kids!

[Paul C. Jesup]

The draft is a dangerious reminder that conservite, young males are 3rd class citizens in this country.

Reinstating the draft in this political climate could start a armed CONSERVITITIVE revolt against the government.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If we are serious about winning the war on terror...

If the U.S. government is "serious about winning," then they'd better stop talking about grabbing 18-year-olds out of school, and start showing us some of the fruits of billion-dollar armament budgets.

This isn't rocket science. You listen in on the bad guys and you kill them.

Now.