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Reinstate the Draft
"Only if the sons and daughters of politicians and business leaders are forced to enlist and to combat our enemies in the next oil-laden desert, will the war will be made "real" to the masses – and to today's youth. "
By Paul Katzman
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Paul Katzman says he has found the solution to getting teenagers involved with politics and speaking out against the war: reinstating the draft.
What happened to student activism? Thirty years ago, if it came out that the president essentially condoned the treatment of detainees that some consider torture, the youth of the day would not have sat idly by and accepted it. Students used to riot over such injustices.
But today, public outcries on political matters have been relegated to the arena of television punditry, forwarded emails, and the "blogosphere."
What will it take for the youth in this country to care about our immoral war? There's one simple answer: a military draft. Only if the sons and daughters of politicians and business leaders are forced to enlist and to combat our enemies in the next oil-laden desert, will the war will be made "real" to the masses – and to today's youth.
The media, unfortunately, proves to be an obstacle when it comes to making the war "real." Where people once witnessed violence and death on their television, these images have now been replaced with flashy graphics, sound effects and overly-dramatic titles; no blood or body bags. For many, the death toll doesn’t hit close to home, with the notable exception of those parents and family members now forced to grieve the loss of their sons, daughters, husbands and wives.
Until my peers, my Senators' children, and your grandchildren are drafted into the Army, possibly to lose a limb, their life or to be psychologically scarred, nothing at all will change.
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