The Roman Draft

Response #1

When a society reaches a certain size and has achieved a substantial amount of power and wealth, the society must begin to think about its protection. Certainly citizens should make up the armed forces, but how should that society go about recruiting those citizens? A draft requiring each fit American male and female between the ages of 18 and 35 to serve in the military if called up is one solution. However, this is, in principle, an idea that violates the very idea on which America was founded. The idea of a such a draft is a bad one because it would be a violation of civil and individual rights. Secondly, a draft interferes with a citizen's private life. Without a draft American society is allowing its citizens to follow their own pursuits, and many of these pursuits would be helpful in a time of war anyway.

Forcing citizens to participate in the military deprives them of the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," three of the most important civil and individual rights in this country. Forcing citizens into the military certainly decreases their chances of living their life to the fullest, as death is a constant possibility. Their right to liberty is also depreciated, as liberty is defined as, "the condition of being free from restriction or control; the condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor" (American Heritage College Dictionary, third edition). Someone who has been forced into the military is certainly not free from restriction, control, confinement, servitude, or forced labor. Finally, demanding a person enter the military deprives them of their right to the pursuit of happiness. While many people thrive in a military environment, others' ideas of happiness may include being a student, owning their own business, or raising a family. A draft would remove these three basic rights from citizens.

One of the best characteristics of American society is the ability to follow your dreams and pursue your own goals. Forcing a draft on American citizens can limit that characteristic, while at the same time removing the individual from activities which may better serve the military well-fare of the country. Someone may have goals of becoming an engineer, and may design a better flying aircraft, or a more powerful tank. If this person is forced into the military, that aircraft or tank would never be developed, especially if that person is killed. To successfully win a battle, the society must have people on the home front who are making, designing, constructing, inspecting, and shipping the materials that will be used to win that battle. In order to win a battle, a society can not depreciate its industrial base and capabilities, which is what may happen if everyone was forced to participate in the military.

Some people will say that if you are going to