Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

As the War in Iraq drags on into its fifth year, the strain on the military has been extreme. Our reliance on a volunteer army, and especially reserve and national guard units has, according to many reports, brought the military system to a breaking point.

I was drafted and was in the army reserves for six years in the 1970’s. The Vietnam War was ending at that time so I did not really expect to be activated for anything other than domestic matters - hurricanes and riots (I did both). Today, despite the current war, many if not most people who have joined the Guard and Reserves do so with only a limited expectation that they would be called up for active service, let alone into active overseas combat. Nonetheless a high percentage of these men and women have experienced two and even three deployments into Iraq and Afghanistan. They serve with heroic honor and we are rightly proud of them.

But it raises an important question for me: why are we fighting a war for our national security and yet not demanding that the burdens of the endeavor be shared evenly across the entire population?

The overwhelming majority of Americans are able to live our lives undisturbed, while a small handful of volunteers face the bullets and bombs of the enemy with their families enduring the emotional burden that should be born by us all. I can think of no instance where I have been asked as a citizen to sacrifice anything other than my opinion about the war. This is a disgrace! Instead of making constructive contributions to our national safety, most of us are left to do little more than yak and fulminate partisan opinions - focusing more on the “enemy” with that opposite opinion than the enemy who is actually intent on killing us all!

What kind of a national endeavor is this? Tell me why we have not demanded everyone’s contribution to the effort to protect the country from the terrorist threat? Instead we are relying totally on the heroic sacrifice of a miniscule percentage of Americans to do the heavy lifting.

It’s past time we demanded a draft into service - for both military and civilian jobs - by all Americans on behalf of the country’s interests.

I hate the lunacy of war. But when they are necessary, it should be done with everyone sharing the burden. Either we are in or get out. And if we decide to be in a conflict, then it’s time to reinstitute the draft - as draft that includes all of us in the effort.
It is the responsibility of all of us to do something besides sit and grouse!