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Letters to the Editor

Draft should include all economic, social groups
In a Jan. 23 commentary, Wayne Madsen said Rep. Charles Rangel’s proposal of a military draft would include both female and male soldiers. However, would the draft be equal between the people of different economic backgrounds? I agree with Rangel’s proposal because it keeps the wealthy elites from escaping the draft. President Bush and former Vice President Dan Quayle, for example, served in the National Guard and military reserve units just so they couldn’t be drafted. The draft should include everybody no matter what their socioeconomic status is. Is it fair that Pedro, the son of a poor Mexican migrant worker, has to go to war, while Walter, the son of a wealthy governor, goes to Canada on a very long snowboarding trip?

War is not in any shape or form the right thing to do in the situation our country is in. However, I think in the event of war, everybody should equally serve his or her time. In the end, the people drafted will get a better understanding of what it takes to keep our country’s freedom alive.

When the time comes for the U.S. government to make the decision whether military service should be compulsory or voluntary, I feel that the government will make it compulsory, especially during wartime. If we ever go to war with Iraq or North Korea, there will eventually be a bill that will be passed re-instating the military draft. I feel that the military draft should include males and females between the ages of 18 and 22; it should also include even percentages of all races, classes and educational levels. I don’t think anybody should be excluded from the draft, because we all live in the same country and should all be willing to serve and fight for our country.

— Charlie Jones, sophomore mechanical engineering major