I think the idea of mandatory national service has merit at certain times in certain places, but I’m fairly certain this isn’t one of those times for this place.

I don’t think anything will do the military in Iraq much good other than leaving, but we’re not leaving. I’m not advocating a draft, skills-based or otherwise; I just think we’re headed toward a point where it will be seen as the least bad short-term option.

2. A draft of irate Americans who don’t want to be in Iraq will hurt, not help, the US military. The motivation to break-burn-drop-wreck and otherwise sabotage everything in reach would be strong among today’s draftees. It would be especially foolish to conscript older Americans, who are even less likely to jump while asking how high on the way up. Just because a person has the skills, does not mean he/she can be motivated to use them.

3. Where are they finding those three in ten people who reportedly support a draft? I don’t believe nearly that many Americans are willing to condemn themselves or their children to conscription.

The very fact that soldiers are being accepted at 42 years of age regardless of officer or soldier status, not only jeopardizes the lives of the individual soldiers but the unit as well since they will take care of the old timers at teh expense of the mission. And then whenthe army allows persons with psychiatric problems in as well problems can be the only result.

My particular interest was the creation of a Youth Energy Conservation ( Today Efficiency) Corps. Back then both parties did not like the registration requirement even though it could be an effective wake up call to each new generation. Additionally, the majority but not all, Democrats did not like linking community service with military service, and most Republicans considered community service as a form of socialism rather than participatory democracy.

This bill by former Congressman Paul N ‘Peter’ McCloskey, Menlo Park, CA, would have required both males and females to register at 17, be encouraged to consider their role as future voting-age citizens, and at 18 indicate any interest in volunteering for active military, reserve duty, community service, say no thanks, or maybe later. Maybe could delay and apply until age 23 to gain more maturity, additional education, or more consideration. I would be also glad to include a hell no.

What was interesting was he did a survey of Juniors and Seniors in his Congressional district. The yin and yang of it was that 90% of the youth hated the idea, but 90% of the youth said they would participate in something. With a geneder split males 60% military 30% community and females 30% military and 60% community service.

Back in Nov 2002 I contact 200 White House staff on the history of this idea, and my proposal in 1980 for a Youth Energy Conservation Corps, community based, but nation wide as an alternative to a future U.S. war in the Persian Gulf. Got a few acknowledgments of consideration, more thank you notes, but that was less than 2%.

In 2003 I gave this info to five of the Democratic Presidential candidates, and in 04 took my message to the Democratic Convention as a Kerry delegate.

For the most part I have gotten silence from the encounters I have had with the media, politicians, government officials, generals from the Pentagon, policy experts, and academic professors.

Find this lack of dialogue rather depressing. I have flipped this idea back to the role of the individual by calling it a Participatory Citizenship Internet Network of Service. An excellent book on current trends across the planet in community service programs is titled: “Service without Guns” By Donald J. Eberly and Reuven Gal, Published in 2006 on the Internet at http://www.LuLu.com .

Take care, Peter Jesella more at http://www.myspace.com/peterview