An Oppurtunity to Choose on Whether to Join The Army Or not

Opinions play a critical part in all issues around us. Weather it be what you’re going to eat for lunch to which new bill the president will pass. All these opinions and decisions affect some of us in the same way. When it comes to laws and regulations we often take them for granted because it doesn’t or wont’ affect us.

Right now as American citizens we have the decision in our hands to choose if we want to join the army or not. This is a choice most people probably take for granted. If we lost the privilege to decide whether or not we wanted to go to the army, how would that affect the average person like you and I?Arguments and debates over this issue have been happening over and over again for some time. People take this subject serious and have various ideas and opinions concerning this subject.

This issue would affect not only the person being drafted but also their families and loved ones. Right now some of us can just “imagine” how hard it is but we don’t really know how bad and how devastating it could be when one of our loved ones is away. Thinking about how we are very privileged to have this option should make people more aware of how many people give up their lives for this country and how grateful we should feel to live somewhere where we hold the option to join the army or not.

Some people agreed that going to war in the past was necessary but how would that have changed if their child or any loved one were being drafted because of this war. Congressmen Charles B. Rangel said in The New York Times, “I believe that if those calling for war knew that their children were likely to be required to serve and to be placed in harm's way there would be more caution and a greater willingness to work with the international community in dealing with Iraq” (Rangel, 19)although he is proactive about bringing the draft back, he does however state a very good point in this issue because people may be all about going to war but when and if it were to affect them or anyone close to them that might be when people take a step back and think more about how we could resolve our issues in a less drastic way. Many people probably hold the same views as Rangel because in general as humans we tend to choose or go for things without possibly thinking them through or thinking about their consequences unless they affect us directly. Also he could also mean by what he said that we often agree for our country to fight and fix problems that way because maybe the army has never affected our lives enough for us to put a significant amount of thought into it. He states his ideas about this argument in a successful way because he does agree that the draft would benefit our country but he also realizes how it could affect our country and the people being drafted.

Not everyone holds the same views though and like in any argument there will always be opposing sides.Michael Kinsley expressed his opinion in The Washington Post stating, “The practical effect would be to deny this poor kid the opportunity he or she is currently taking, without creating any new opportunities to replace it. Meanwhile, someone else who doesn't need or want this opportunity would be forced into it. Result: two people doing something they don't want to do” (Kinsley, B07). His statement is very powerful and guaranteed to grasp the attention of people regardless if they are against the idea of the draft or not. He states a very strong idea that by bringing in a draft you not only hurt someone who may wished to have a different path in life but also to shut down the goals of someone else who had already invested themselves in other things. His point of view can put even someone who agreed to the idea of a draft in perspective because its very possible that by bringing back a draft people would be left disoriented after leaving for war because joining the army was never in his or her plan. This would leave people such as college students strongly affected because when someone enters college they mostly likely have chosen their major and are looking forward to the next four years or so in their lives, by getting drafted this could completely mess with their plans. Let alone not only disrupt their plans or goals they had planned for themselves but when they return from the war then what path would the choose to go in. Families as well who never had planned to have their children or loved ones go into the army would be hit with a struggle they never even planned to deal with. Many people I am sure can agree that this would be a very unfair situation because regardless if you’re a student or someone older no one likes to be forced to do anything and especially being drafted isn’t just a small decision.

When explaining your point of view during arguments a strong argument goes a long way and Georgie Anne Geyer in the Uexpress did exactly that.One of her strongest points in her article was when she interviewed congressmen Rangel and he said "A renewed draft will help bring about a fairer representation of America in the military ranks as well as a greater appreciation of the consequences of decisions to go to war. To anyone who hasn't considered it, mandatory conscription will bring home to America the potential horrors of war." (Uexpress, 7B) This was a conversation she had with congressmen Rangel really holds a strong point in her belief that the draft should come back. He believes that by bringing back the draft it will show people a clearer and fairer view of the reality of the military in America. This alone is a strong statement because most of us know of it and know that they go to war but what we don’t know and most of us have the luxury to not be put in the situations that many have faced. Also by bringing the draft back people will be more aware of the consequences that war brings and will hopefully appreciate it a lot more than we do now. By having people be drafted the horrors and negative aspects of the war will also exposed.

Both people who are pro and con on this subject hold their strong points and very reasonable explanations behind their beliefs. Regardless of which side or what they believe in the benefit of our country should be a priority. Obviously not every law or bill will be fair and like most things, people will not only be affected but also in different ways. All these arguments on this subject should show people a little more concern and appreciation to the freedom we do have. As of right now we have the choice in our hands to join the army or not and some of us will never face the challenges and hardships that being in or having someone in the army can bring. We have a lot of privileges and luxuries that many people don’t get to have, being in the army being one main privilege that many may take for granted.