Coffee & Conversation: Conscription Now?
Here comes confusion. Last week, without any drum rhythms, funky horns, or angels’ voices the secretary of our defense, Robert Gates lectured college students about the all-volunteer military force. He told them that it was time for us all to step up. That we can no longer leave the defense of our freedom to a small slice the American population – the mix has to include you, too.
Confusion.
Maybe the judge in Cali read Gates’ commentary before she told President O that excluding folks from volunteering to serve in the armed forces because of whom they love was not only hypocritical but unacceptable. We need you to step up.
Confusion.
How do we safeguard freedom when everyone isn’t in the fight? How do we appreciate freedom when we do not get the privilege of the fight? Time to require military service? Will it work? Will it make the armed forces more representative? Will it ensure that we all shoulder the privilege? Make us all, and the nation, great? Seems to work for a whole lot of other folks in the world, why not us? Especially us?
See you this afternoon (October 15) in the Howard Thurman Center for coffee and conversation. I’m there from 3-5 p.m. with plenty of cookies and coffee; you bring your conversation.
Peace?