A Superfluous Draft: The Consequences.

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Weitekamp

Chris Weitekamp

Mrs. Seaver

Composition III: Persuasion Essay

May 12, 2003

A Superfluous Draft: The Consequences

Conscription can be defined as a compulsory enrollment of people for military service.  It was first established in the United States during the Civil War, and became known as the Selective Service.  However, it quickly proved to be unpopular and unfair.  Its lack of amiability has remained the same for generations, and shows no sure signs of changing.  Since the Civil War, there have been many changes to the Selective Service.  In the early days, one could pay a flat sum of $300 to be exempt from the draft.  Congress soon began to realize that this gave the wealthy an unfair advantage, so it decided to defer only those whose high-level education would come to an abrupt halt if they were to be drafted.  This again provided the wealthy with an inequitable advantage because only they had the money to be continuing their education at the college level.  As a result of the multifarious number of casualties during Vietnam, and because Congress was having a difficult time establishing a fair draft, the Selective Service was abandoned (Register 1).

        Decades have passed since Vietnam, and the draft has grown to be a sensitive subject of discussion.  Its controversy makes it one of the most intimidating issues for a politician to bring to the table.  Recently, however, stout politicians such as Senator Ernest Hollings, R-S.C., and Representative Charles Rangel, D-N.Y, have daringly spoken out in an effort to reinstitute the military draft in the United States (Abrahamson 1).  Politicians and civilians alike have been spit into two sides: those who agree to a reinstitution of the draft and those who oppose.  A successful and worthwhile reinstitution of the draft is highly unlikely because of the inevitable number of draft dodgers, the skewed ratio of cost to benefits, and the overall lack of immediate need for civilian troops.

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        If the draft were to be reintroduced, the age-old problem of draft dodging would be sure to arise.  Congress would not be able to make a completely solid and fair set of regulations that would require all U.S. citizens and residents between the ages of 18 and 26 to serve approximately two years of military or civilian service (Moskos and Glastris 4).  Just as in other wars, people will find a way to get out of it.  Charles Rangel says that he will attempt to make the draft fair by stating that, “Only those needing additional time to complete high ...

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