Jessica Bouchard
June 4, 2007
AP English
Opposing the Reinstitution of Conscription to Save Lives
The general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority is conscription. How mysterious that the government of the country that was founded on fundamental principles of equality and freedom for every individual employs conscription, even in times of "crises", and is considering employing it again, despite tragic failures when it has been used in the past. It is certainly honorable to defend the security of one's country, yet to be forced into such a position is homicide committed by the enforcer. Ordinary citizens should not be uprooted from their lives, put in dangerous situations, with low morale, to fight a war they do not support. The military needs to continue to operate solely on a voluntary basis if the rights of the citizens of the country are to be preserved and honored as they were upon the establishment of the nation.
English: Stoddard King (1889-1933)
Military men standing in front of military service...
Cobweb_Jun_2007_01.jpgConscription depletes the generation of the younger generations, the generations that carry in new innovations and inventions to fuel the future. If the citizens forced into combat do not die in service to the country, they come back wounded physically and emotionally, ruining the country's hope and hindering its progress. The truth of the situation is that "the first to be called [into service]â¦will be men whose 20th birthday falls during that year, followed, if needed by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25." ("What Happens During a Military Draft?" 1) In other words, those graduating from college, ready to engage themselves in their fields of study; to have families; to contribute to the overall success of the country, are called away from their lives to risk everything in the line of duty. The draft is not a humanitarian act;...