by Mobile Mechanixx

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: September 09, 2008

Roman matrons used to say to their men; "Come back to me with your shield, or on it". Eventually they stopped saying this to their men. Then Rome instituted the draft. Shortly thereafter, Rome fell. This was not a coincidence. Esprit de corps does not evolve from those forced to become part of the military. Men forced to fight are more likely to surrender. There are parallels to our own society here.

Any country, if it deserves to continue as a sovereign state, should have enough backing by the people who reside in it to form a military. If the government, and/or its policies, are so unpopular with its own constituents to field a voluntary military, it is destined to fall. This may not be an overnight event, but it will still be a foregone conclusion eventually.

If the call should go out for out of shape men aged 35 or so to join, then as a patriotic American, I will vie to be first in line. In this unlikely event, the last thing I would want is to have a so called man of 18 years who has been forced to join next to me, no matter his ability. I do not believe I am alone in feeling this way.

There should never again, in this country or any other, be forced military service.

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