Bring back the draft ---- with options

[question everything]

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Bring back the draft ---- with options

By: Jerry Juntti - Commentary

Since Bush does not have to face re-election, and since the Army is strapped for manpower, it is a given that the draft will return in his second term. Since half the population (of voters) voted against Bush, and his Iraq war, it's safe to assume there would be plenty of marches, even riots, when the draft would return.

I did what Bush did back during Vietnam ---- I joined the National Guard to avoid the draft (I'm 61 now). I would hope that to avoid the huge anti-draft riots and demonstrations that a renewed draft would bring that Bush would have the sense to offer an alternative to the draft: a two-year stint in a variety of national service options, similar to a domestic Peace Corps.

There are countless inner-city schools (and most schools, in fact, not just inner-city) that would make good use of classroom aides to serve as tutors for the kids who are struggling with their studies. It would not cost the schools anything. The government would pay a stipend to the national service people ---- about the same money as they would get if they were drafted into the military. The national parks, for example, are always short on funds, and many national service people would be very useful in the parks to do a wide variety of things.

More..

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/01/11/opinion/commentary/1_10_0519_34_54.txt