This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

[Teresa]

Huh?

Now that statement confused me mama.........

[Varmit]

I am torn on this one.  On one hand I agree with Flo, Jo, and Teresa.  Yet on the other hand the U.S. does have an all voluntary force, which is (in my humble opinion) the main reason we have the strongest military on earth.  The people who serve Want to serve.  By forcing people to serve we undermine the very principle of Freedom. 

[Wilma]

It seems to me that in the 40's, a lot of young men who would rather have stayed home were drafted into the service to defend our country.  Drafted means that when their turn came they HAD to go and not by choice.  But being proud Americans, they went, left their families including their small children KNOWING that they were going into actual combat.  How much more patriotic can you be than that?  Yet, our forces were not weak because they were forced to serve.  I would say that our forces are strong because they are Americans not because they are serving by choice.

[Diane Amberg]

The same for Viet Nam. Not every one was a draft dodger. Those soldiers went because their country called them, it didn't matter who the President was at the time.

[Varmit]

Wilma, I agree, those men were patriots, no doubt about it. Our country was attacked and they answered the call.  They fought for our freedom.  But theres the catch.  That hard won freedom and the sacriface that paid for it means nothing if we don't apply it equally to our citizens.

Diane, I know that not everyone in the late 50's and early 60's was a draft dodger.  My father, 2 uncles, and step grandpa, all volunteered.  That being said, not all soldiers that went did so at their own will, it was either go to nam, or canada, or jail.  That was a choice they shouldn't have had to make.  And while I have a deep loathing of anyone who wouldn't serve their country, I have to allow them that choice.