More Boots on the Ground for Peace

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-charles-rangel/more-boots-on-the-ground-_b_2689992.html

More Boots on the Ground for Peace
Rep. Charles Rangel and Russell Simmons
Posted: 02/15/2013 12:00 am

Ten years ago on February 15, 2003, an estimated 15 million people across 800 cities protested the invasion of Iraq, making it the largest antiwar rally in history. There is no condition or situation where violence is justified as anything but a last resort. Both on the streets and in distant conflict zones, peace must always remain our first priority. Whether as a member of our Armed Forces in a distant land or as an educated citizen here at home, each of us has a vital role to play as we ensure our collective security. These protests were a tremendous statement by millions of concerned citizens, but we must all unite with one voice and share in these decisions as an informed and engaged public.

War has changed in many ways with the emergence of new conflicts and the advancement of technology. However, fundamentally war has not varied. Soldiers are still being deployed and innocent civilians become casualties. There have been more than 600,000 mortalities resulting from conflicts in this century alone. Among those are the 6,600 American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The long term effects of conflict continue to take their toll on our bravest as the suicide rate among the nation's active-duty military personnel continues to spike. The number of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines taking their own lives has climbed to approximately one in every 18 hours and has eclipsed the rate of those dying in combat.

One of us, as a lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives, has been calling for a mandatory draft, in hopes to encourage Members of Congress to exhaust all diplomatic options before considering military engagements. A compulsory draft would serve as a guarantee that all Americans have a vested interest in the decision to use force, why we are using force, and who will be sent in harms' way. Today this legislation will be reintroduced, along with another bill that will require women to register for the Selective Service. The decision to allow women in combat was a tremendous milestone towards equality in America. Now that women are allowed in combat, the men and women who make up the one percent of Americans who serve in the armed forces have become equal partners in defending our nation the rest of America needs to get on board.



unhappycamper comment: The DoD is enamored with the 'Volunteer Military" because it avoids a draft.

No draft = no skin in the game. No skin in the game = let's buy more expensive weapons. When the money trough is slimmed down, we get all these apocalyptic warnings of "Disaster!" and "The wolf is at the door!"

News flash: