December 29, 2003 5:44 AM

Have we learned nothing from Vietnam?

Should the Draft Be Reinstated? With U.S. forces stretched thin and many reservists on full-time duty, some urge a draft for reasons of fairness and practicality. Opponents say it's unnecessary and dangerous.

Staying the course in Iraq means increasing our troop strength, and, not surprisingly, recruitment and re-enlistment levels are down. But proposed enlistment bonuses and other economic incentives will not make the military any more attractive to upper-middle-class young people. Increasingly we will be a nation in which the poor fight our wars while the affluent stay home.

To correct the disparity among those who serve, South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings and I have proposed a new draft. All men and women ages 18 to 26 would be eligible for induction once they have completed high school. Those not needed in the military would perform civilian service. Enacting our plan would democratize our armed forces and return to the "citizen soldier" ideal that has served our nation so well.

As a veteran, I strongly believe that fighting for our country must be fairly shared by all racial and economic groups. Nobody wants to go to war, but the burden of service cannot fall only on volunteers who, no matter how patriotic, are attracted to the military for financial reasons. We cannot continue to pretend it is fair that one segment of society makes all the sacrifices.

- Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

In the interest of full disclosure, I should alert the reader to my own personal situation regarding this issue. I was an Army Reserve officer who filed for, and ultimately won, conscientious objector status. I refused to register for the draft, and indeed, I still have not, although, at my age, I doubt that I have much to worry about from the Selective Service.

Having said that, I am profoundly conflicted about the idea of reinstating the draft. Until and unless a system is devised that makes it as likely that a son of a Congressman will serve as the son of a janitor, I believe that a draft is morally wrong. When a person can find a way to avoid serving due to their social and economic status or their political connections, something is fundamentally wrong. When the fighting and dying is disproportionately done by the poor, the disadvantaged, and the politically unconnected, we make a mockery of our alleged commitment to equal rights and equal opportunity.

And what of those with a legitimate moral and religious opposition to war? Do we deny their beliefs and force them into combat positions? Or can we devise a system that recognizes the legitimacy of their beliefs? Can the idea of a non-violent national service component be integrated into a draft system?

Given the current Administration, I have no confidence that a draft could be fairly, equitably, and uniformly applied. No Congressman orCEO is going to want to see their sons and daughters in front-line combat units, and the Bush Administration certainly recognizes who butters their bread. Any draft system cobbled together by this Administration will no doubt contain significant loopholes which will allow the children of the wealthy, the powerful, and the well-connected to opt out.

Of course, another bias that I have to confess to is that I have two stepsons: 16 and 20 years old. Like any parent, I am not at all excited about their children coming under hostile fire, particularly in one of George W. Bush's wars. All of that aside, however, if someone can demonstrate to my satisfaction that they have a draft system that will be applied equitably across the board, we might have something to talk about. If you can show me that the son of a Congressman or CEO is just as likely to be drafted as the son of a bricklayer, I might be able to get behind it. I'm not holding my breath on that count, however.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on December 29, 2003 5:44 AM.

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