The Military Draft

The Military Draft The Army is the only branch of the U.S. Armed forces which has relied on conscription, popularly known in the U.S. as The Draft. In 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War, Congress abolished the draft in favor of an all-volunteer Army (AVA). The Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard are not meeting recruiting goals, and junior officers are not re-enlisting. Soldiers have been forced to fight in Iraq for long tours of duty, with little relief in sight. These pressures have caused some leaders to insist that reinstating the draft is inevitable. The draft was abandoned in 1973 in large part due to protests and a general belief that the draft was unfair: that it targeted less affluent members of society because, for example, of college deferments. However, that was not the first time Americans had protested a draft; that distinction belongs to the Civil War, with the most famous riots occurring in New York City in 1863. Today the all-volunteer Army is criticized because its ranks of minorities are disproportionate to the general population and because recruiters target less affluent teenagers who have poor job prospects after graduation. It is also criticized for its access to the nations youth; high schools and colleges that receive federal monies are required to allow recruiters on campus. Pros Conscription for military service is a classic debate between individual liberty and duty to society. Democracies value individual liberty and choice; however, democracy does not come without costs. How should those costs be shared? George Washington makes the case for mandatory service: It must be laid down as a primary position and the basis of our (democratic) system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defence of it. It was this ethic that led the U.S. to adopt mandatory militia service for white males in the late 1700s. The modern equivalent is voiced by Rep. Rangel (D-NY), a veteran of the Korean War: I truly believe that those who make the decision and those who support the United States going into war would feel more readily the pain thats involved, the sacrifice thats involved, if they thought that the fighting force would include the affluent and those who historically have avoided this great responsibility...Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country. For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance. The Universal National Service Act (HR2723) would require all men and women aged 18-26 to perform military or civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes. The required term of service is 15 months. This differs from a draft lottery, however, as its goal is to apply equally to all. Cons Modern warfare is high tech and has changed dramatically since Napoleans march to Russia, the battle of Normandy or the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. There is no longer a need for massive human cannon fodder. Thus one argument against the draft is that the Army needs highly skilled professionals, not just men with combat skills. When the Gates Commission recommended an all-volunteer Army to President Nixon, one of the arguments was economic. Even though wages would be higher with the volunteer force, Milton Freedman argued that the net cost to society would be lower. In addition, the  Cato Institute argues  that selective service registration, which was reauthorized under President Carter and extended under President Reagan, should also be eliminated: The sign-up was always intended to quickly generate a large conscript armysimilar to Americas 13-million-man military in World War IIfor a protracted conventional war against the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact centered in Europe. Today that kind of conflict is a paranoid fantasy. Consequently, the premium for registration insurance would be better spent elsewhere. And an early 1990s  Congressional Research Service report  says an expanded reserve corps is preferable to a draft: A requirement for major increases in combat forces could be met much more quickly by activating more reserves than by instituting a draft. A draft would not provide the trained officers and non-commissioned officers to man effective units; it would only turn out freshly trained junior enlisted recruits.

A Typical Homeschool Day

A Typical Homeschool Day According to the National Home Education Research Institute, as of 2016, there were approximately 2.3 million homeschooled students in the United States. Those two-million-plus students hail from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems. The NHERI states that homeschooling families are, ...atheists, Christians, and Mormons; conservatives, libertarians, and liberals; low-, middle-, and high-income families; black, Hispanic, and white; parents with Ph.D.s, GEDs, and no high-school diplomas. One study shows that 32 percent of homeschool students are Black, Asian, Hispanic, and others (i.e., not White/non-Hispanic) (Noel, Stark, Redford, 2013). With the wide diversity found in the homeschooling community, its easy to see why its difficult to label any day a typical homeschool day. There are as many ways to homeschool and as many ways to accomplish each days goals as there are homeschooling families. Some homeschooling parents model their day after a traditional classroom, even starting  their day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The rest of the day is spent doing sit-down work, with a break for lunch and perhaps recess. Others arrange their homeschool  schedule to suit their own needs and preferences, taking into account their own high- and low-energy periods and their familys work schedules. While there is no typical day, here are some organizational generalities many homeschooling families share: 1. Homeschooling Families May Not Start School Until Late Morning. Since homeschoolers dont need to dash for the school bus, its not uncommon for homeschooling families to make their mornings as calm as possible, starting off with a family read-aloud, housekeeping, or other low-key activities. While many homeschooling families get up and get school started around the same time as children in a  traditional school setting, others prefer to sleep later and avoid the drowsiness that plagues many school kids.   This flexibility is especially helpful to families with teenage students. Studies have shown that teens need 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and its not uncommon for them to have trouble falling asleep before 11 p.m. 2. Many Homeschoolers Prefer to Ease Into the Day With Routine Tasks. Although some children prefer to get their most difficult tasks out of the way first thing, others find it stressful to dive into complex subjects first thing. Thats why many homeschooling families opt to start the day with routines like chores or music practice. Many families enjoy beginning  with morning time activities such as reading aloud, completing memory work (such as math facts or poetry), and listening to music or creating art. These activities can help kids get warmed up for tackling new tasks and skills that demand more concentration. 3. Homeschoolers Schedule Their Toughest Subjects for Prime Time. Everyone  has a time of day in which they are naturally more productive. Homeschoolers can take advantage of their peak hours by scheduling their toughest subjects or most involved projects for those times. That means that some homeschooling families will have math and science projects, for example, completed by lunch while others will save those activities for later in the afternoon, or even at night or on the weekends. 4. Homeschoolers Really Do Get Out for Group Events and Other Activities. Homeschooling isnt all sitting around the kitchen table hunched over workbooks or lab equipment. Most homeschoolers try to get together with other families on a regular basis, whether for co-op classes or outdoor play. Homeschooling families are often active in the community with volunteer work, drama teams, sports, music, or art. 5. Most Homeschooling Families Allow for Regular Quiet Time Alone. Education experts say that students learn best when theyre given some unstructured time to pursue their own interests and  privacy to work without someone watching over their shoulder. Some homeschooling parents use quiet time as a chance to work with one child individually while the others are busy on their own. Quiet time also gives kids the opportunity to learn how to entertain themselves and avoid boredom. Other parents choose to have quiet time for the entire family each afternoon. During this time, they can enjoy their own down time by reading  a book, answering email, or taking a quick power nap. No two homeschooling families are the same, nor are two homeschool days. However, many homeschooling families do appreciate having a somewhat predictable rhythm to their days. These general concepts for organizing a homeschool day are those that tend to be fairly common  in the homeschooling community. And even though the homes of many homeschooling families look nothing like a traditional classroom, you can bet that learning is one of the things that homeschoolers do all day, at any time during the day or night. Updated by Kris Bales