We Should Bring Back the Draft

Today is Memorial Day.

I has occurred to me several times over this holiday weekend that we should bring back the draft. It should be part of the requirement of citizenship that everyone spend some time in the military services. New immigrants should, anyone who aspires to run for public office should, corporate execs should, media execs should - everyone should.

Furthermore, everyone should spend time, even a week, in a combat zone, in a military hospital, in a rehabilitation center and a psych ward, then maybe, just maybe, Memorial Day would mean more than a day at the beach, a trip to the sales at the mall or an occasion for the first BBQ of the summer.

And, if we had all done our tour of duty, we would be less casual about sending our fellow citizens into war in the first place.

It is fine to put the bring our troops home bumper stickers on our cars as a gesture of consumer support for the sticker manufacturer, just don't confuse it with support for troops any more that a day at the beach is a way to remember those who died in wars - especially wars that should never have been started in the first place.

Our lack of consciousness is even more alarming than our lack of respect for those the day is designed to remember.