Word: draft
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...draft is unique for Americans. At no other time do we allow our government to force us into a situation in which death is a distinct and overwhelming possibility. The death penalty for murderers is hardly an exception--criminals have broken the contract with society, thereby losing the privilege of its protection...
...draft, therefore, is a violation of all that we hold most dear as Americans--the supremacy of the individual over the state; the preference of government that governs least; the intrinsic value of life. While military service remains an honorable means of serving America, the draft cannot be used to advance that goal without compromising that which makes America worth serving...
...permitted to work in social service projects rather than join the military. This seems to be the best solution. The state cannot claim our lives; in times of dire need, it can demand our service. If the government provides alternatives to military service, then the problems of the draft as we know it would be avoided...
...quite likely that, as some allege, the lack of a draft makes Americans more gung ho for war when restraint would be wiser. But it is also entirely possible that the threat of conscription would dissuade the nation from sacrificing its sons and daughters when war is the only means of preventing greater suffering...
...argument in favor of the draft can counter my basic value premise: People precede government, do not owe their lives to it and cannot be forced to cede their very existence at the beckon of the state. When foreign invaders come to America's shores, or if aggression abroad compels American action, I would hope that the call to arms is answered swiftly and positively. But if military service is compelled, then America will have dented its moral armor...