I believe, from the bottom of my heart and throughout my soul, that every person in this country who is physically and emotionally able should be obligated to do mandatory national service. I am not, however, saying that everyone should be a soldier.
In my vision, every 18 year old who is able would go to boot camp in one of the various military boot camps. If they want to be in the military, then they go to the boot camp for the service they will join. If not, they go to which ever boot camp they are assigned.
For those who choose alternative service, it could be with the Conservation Corps, the Peace Corps, Americorps, etc. In any of these settings, they would still be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) – if they do something wrong, they go to “Mast,” “Office hours” or whatever your service calls it.
Most young people these days have no sense of personal responsibility, no sense of honor, and very poor work ethics. I think that mandatory service with the UCMJ around would allow these young people to learn responsibility, ethics and values, while gaining life skills.
After their minimum tour, if completed with honor, these young adults would then be given a form of the GI Bill, with value dependent on the type of service that they did. This would then aid them in developing their education and skills further to become productive young adults.
Our country currently has the silly requirement for boys to register for the selective service, but not girls – this means that if we had to have a draft under the current system, no women would be called up – only men. This hardly makes sense in this Post-Modern world of equal rights. I strongly believe that Equal Rights must come with Equal Responsibility.
Think of the positive effects this would have on the under served in our country – minorities, poor people in ghettos, etc. This would give them the chance they need to make something out of their lives.
I would also include children of illegal immigrants here. After their service (only if completed honorably), they could apply for citizenship if they so desire. If they fail to complete their obligation honorably, then I believe they should be deported.
This plan would cost a lot of money of course, but in the long run, it would save a tremendous amount of money by giving these troubled young people a way to grow up and learn to work honestly. Their GI Bill benefits would allow them to then choose a career to go to, with proper training or education. This could possible reduce ghetto problems dramatically as well.
It would reduce drugs and crime. I think it's a brilliant idea. Rav Jaron for President!
ReplyDeleteThere is no magic bullet. People are individuals. This is why we have individual freedoms. What you are suggesting is to force people into the service of the state. This is Fascism. I joined the Navy with eyes wide open. Unfortunately, many joined not knowing what they were doing. Still, they volunteered. They were not forced. These people who decided to join without knowing what they were joining, were bad for morale. I am totally and completely against any kind of forced service of any kind. It won't reduce anything except individual liberty. By the way, I joined the Navy and enjoyed my experience. It was a good thing for me as an individual to learn to work as a member of a team. It was my choice,
ReplyDeleteGeorge Stoneham
George, thanks for your comments. I'm not advocating MILITARY service for all, just SERVICE. There is a big difference there. A number of democratic countries have mandatory service with alternative service options available. As I understand it, their young teens become much more responsible adults than what we have in the US. This is why I advocate for this - not to have a big military.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I too volunteered for and enlisted in the Navy. After a 22 year career, I can point to a lot of good things, and a lot of bad things. What I can say was that I figured out who I was and what I was supposed to be. Service truly helped me with that.
Thanks again, Jaron