reply to post by Doalrite
Nice post sir, actually I don't want to make it a requirement to own a gun to go to the service. However I am of the opinion that ALL people should be
trained in combat hand to hand and with weapons. I know my OPINION of this will make people argue... but i do think that it would be good for america
and its citizens.. If you disagree please give me some talking points as to why. Ok say by Citizens going to to service for their state for two
years... military service is really just a job. So it would give people a job. Filing paper, cleaning floors.. just out of their mothers house on
their own. Providing service for their country and states.. giving them respect for whats around them.
The impression I got was that you were suggesting that the service would be a requirement for owning firearms, but since you have said it wasn't your
intent, I apologize for the misunderstanding.
As far as the idea of mandatory military conscription; even if it is non combat conscription, unfortunately I still can not agree with, though I think
you do offer a few good points and ideas. Mainly that citizens could use some hand to hand combat training, arms training and even a bit of discipline
and learning to work together as a well regulated unit.
Though, I do not think citizens should be forced to serve in the military, for a couple of reasons. For one, I don't think people should be forced to
go against their beliefs, some people are pacifists and whether one agrees with them or not I just don't believe that people should be forced to
compromise their beliefs by law. Second, though many people think that the military can iron out the rough edges of anyone, there are some people who
can not cope with and should not be part of the highly stressful, regimented and controlled environment of the military. Even now there are some
people who wash out of basic training and are sent back home and it's probably a good thing. If you begin to force everyone to serve in the military I
think we might find that it could create a great deal of problems down the road even if it is only a small minority of people that can't cope and
crack under the pressure so to speak.
Another problem; I have with forced conscription especially at the national level using the military, is cost. As you pointed out it would be like
offering a job to people, the problem is you have to pay the people for the job and since the military doesn't produce any products or money of it's
own that all comes from the tax payers pockets. I would be interested in how much a national forced conscription would increase the already massive
military spending budget.
Now, having said that I would agree that many citizens could benefit with some minor military training, but I would differ in the way that I would
implement such a plan.
First, I would rather see it be on a community level basis rather then a national one. More in the form of a local community militia, answering
directly to the mayor and city council of the community.
Second, I still think it should be voluntary in nature, but maybe a local incentive could be offered for service in the militia, such as maybe a minor
property tax cut for service. In exchange the citizens would much like the national guard give up some of their time for periodic and routine
training.
Then, veterans and military officers of the community could pass on their skills to the fellow citizens and in exchange the citizens will have a force
that can protect their community in a worse case scenario; riots and invasion, and would even have a well trained force that could be mobilized for
peaceful reasons in the event of local natural disasters and etc.
Just my opinion though.
Anyway, thank you OP for your time and response.
*Addition*
I would also like to add that if it is organized on a community rather then a national or state level it would even have the added benefit of
strengthening ties between and the sense of community in general, which does seem to be slowly vanishing in the modern high tech, net connected
age*
edit on 3-8-2012 by prisoneronashipoffools because: addition