Renewed Military Draft example essay topic

Historically, the United States has had a draft system for every war since the Vietnam War. Now with the problems we are having with Iraq, there is talk of war and Americans are wondering if the United States will re-instate the draft system. The draft in America has always been unfair and unequal. Wealthy eligibles during the Revolutionary and Civil War could appoint an employee to serve for them. Others could pay anyone to serve their draft term. The Vietnam War proved the draft was unfair.

President Nixon's reversal of the draft law sent younger men at 18 the first to be picked before picking older men in their mid-twenties. If you were 18 and poor, your chances of being drafted were greater than if you were 25 and back attending college. Universities and colleges competing for the same people the military wanted, offered a variety of assistance to their male students to keep them on campus and away from a military base. So going to college was an escape from being drafted if you could afford to go to college.

Some males choose to flee to Canada and became criminals. The military found themselves drafting more lawyers to deal with an increased level of criminal conduct by males avoiding the draft. More doctors were needed to deal with the high increase of GI's rushing to start a family, hoping to avoid combat in the military. (Coleman, Phill, "Why I Cannot Support A Renewed Military Draft At This Time": web) Right now, males between the ages of 18 and 26 and a half, must register with the Selective Service System.

Women currently are exempted from registering with the Selective Service System and would be exempt from the draft. Women have not been drafted because some believe that if you draft women you are taking away a major influence in the home. The woman is usually been the one to hold the country together at home, and if they are drafted that influence will be absent. The current military policy does not permit those who are openly homosexual to join, and this could change if there is a draft. Those who have a moral or religious objection to fighting could declare themselves conscientious objectors upon being drafted. Most of these would be enlisted and would serve in non-combat positions, such as office jobs or positions in the various Medical Corps.

(Brown, Colin, "Talk of National Draft Stems From Iraq Conflict": Campus Times-News-Feb. 13.2003) Rep. Charlie Rangel, Democrat of New York, has been talking about re-instating the military draft as a measure against a potential war in Iraq. Rangel wants the return to the draft as a reminder to Congress of what war means. If everyone were required to serve in uniform, Congress would probably not vote in favor of war with Iraq because Congress would then know that their own sons and daughters would be going off to war. (Diller, Matt, "Rangel's Genuine Draft": web 14, 2003) Advocates of the "Restart the Draft" movement include leaders of some of the oldest veteran organizations and publications. Re-instating the draft program would create more veterans and the more veterans the country has the more dues by paying members and subscribers. Currently there is a declining membership due to the refusal of younger vets to join and the older veterans dying.

Re-instating the draft in America would mean that college students would not receive any deferment in a future conflict. Draftees would be referred to local draft boards and these boards would make final decisions on draft selections. Most likely in a non-conflict time, if a student were to be drafted, they would be exempt from service until the end of the semester and seniors would probably be allowed to finish the year and graduate before reporting for duty. For those students who cannot willingly serve in any military position, alternative service would be required for a period of at least as long as their enlistment would have been. This service would include working with the elderly and teaching. A lottery would decide which men would be drafted, with the higher numbers being drawn from those in the highest status group.

Men fall into this highest status group if they are in good physical health during the entire year of their 20th birthday. (Brown, Collin, "Talk of National Draft Stems From Iraq Conflict", Campus Times-News-Feb. 13, 2003) To re-instate a draft system, a draft system has to be fair for all Americans. A renewed military draft must be judicial to all in order for it to work successfully and productively for the good of the country as well as for the draftee. If we have a draft system then it should criminally outlaw favoritism, include women and guarantee that the daughters will not become pregnant. It should also guarantee a lot of post-military benefits and guarantee against abusive treatment by senior commissioned and non-commissioned officers (a problem during the Vietnam War era).

These guarantees would be very difficult for the government to keep. A new draft should also include conscientious and religious objectors, and those who commit youthful, minor criminal offenses that do not warrant incarceration but currently categorizes them ineligible for military service. Constitutionally women are considered equal to men with the exception of military service. A draft that excludes females would not be equal to males. It is unfair to order males to serve two or more years in the military while females are exempted. Females would then be free to secure and guarantee themselves in career advancing in private industry employment.

Military discharged males would not only have to compete with well anchored and experienced women but they would be over- powered by females occupying positions that determine who should be hired and promoted. (Coleman, Phill, "Why I Cannot Support A Renewed Military Draft At This Time": web) A draft would also be unfair to medium and low-income parents who cannot afford to secure for their sons and daughters, the best training, military jobs and assignments in non-combat units. The wealthy or politically influential sons and daughters would be selected or assigned positions over more qualified candidates. With a volunteer enlistment in the military, qualified candidates can compete fairly. If the draft is going to be implemented, it is very important that the draft includes everybody.

During the Vietnam War, families of poor African American draftees argued unfairness, which was later proved when Dept. of Defense and Census Dept. figures showed that although the African American population raged between 11% and 13%, the African American battle force in Vietnam raged between 15% and 17%. (Coleman, Phill, "Why I Cannot Support A Renewed Military Draft At This Time": web) A renewed military draft would be unfair because if drafting means everybody with no exceptions, then families would consider their children as draft items of the state. Parents would have less children knowing they are born to serve the State only to acquire and use them in any form it dictates. Many students are hoping that the draft never becomes necessary. Students hope that enough Americans will be willing to volunteer themselves should the country need more military personnel. There are students would believe that the draft would be a way to strengthen opposition to war.

Just the talk of war being possible has created protests throughout the country. So talk of a draft would only start an anti-war movement. United States Representatives remember the controversy surrounding the draft during Vietnam. The draft then helped contribute to the general anti-war sentiment across the country and led to an end of the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, draft evaders suggested drafting convicted murderers to do our killing in Southeast Asia. The problem with enlisting prisoners and sending them to war is that murderers kill anyone and everyone... not just the enemy.

(Coleman, Phill, "Why I Cannot Support A Renewed Military Draft At This Time": web) The all-volunteer military is one of the reasons why the armed forces are as effective as they are. The military is doing fine recruiting and retaining quality, effective soldiers without having to resort to a draft. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated in September that there was "not a chance" of an active draft. (Brown, Colin, "Talk of National Draft Stems From Iraq Conflict": Campus Times-News-Feb. 13, 2003) Top aides to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld contend that advances in military technology, allow the United States to consider drawing down some of the U.S. ground forces.

With fewer U.S. ground forces, the Pentagon could place greater emphasis on Navy and Air Force long-range strike weapons. The Pentagon is also examining how contingency plans can be rewritten to require a smaller ground commitment and a greater role for precision weapons. (Mazzetti, Mark, "Rethinking South Korea's Defense": US News Magazine-Feb. 6, 2003) In Hungary, A U.S. Army drill sergeant is training Iraqi exiles preparing them to assist U.S. troops should the U.S. go to war with Iraq. The U.S. military has, in the past, trained foreign armies and even guerrilla fighters to assist U.S. troops in locating sensitive holy sites, enemy caves, and understanding the country's territory and cultures. (Jaffe, Greg, "On A Remote Base, U.S. Drill Sergeants Train Iraqi Exiles": Wall Street Journal- Feb. 24, 2003, Vol. CC SLI No. 37) In conclusion, with advances in military technology, military recruiting and training, and having the United Nations support, I feel that the United States will not now or ever have to implement the draft.

More now than ever, the future will require less and less ground forces, because I don't think we will never go to war alone. I think we will always have the help of another country or countries that the United States will not need to reinstate the draft.