[sailor4321]

And I support the draft not for what it will possibly do for draftees, but because the Founding Fathers very wisely were suspicious of a large standing army, which most certainly now have.

We're about to see the negative side of a large standing army on our freedom. What we have already seen is a tendency for do-gooders to use the army recklessly in overseas adventures --- in effect, our ability to intervene creates a foreign policy of intervention.

[sean327]

As a Marine "lifer" with 17 years of service to this great country, I have some problems with instituting the draft. 1.I don't want a Marine in my unit who doesn't want to be there. His attitude can poison a unit, and create hundreds of problems Commanders and SNCO's will have to deal with taking time away from the mission at hand. 2. I too think the draft is imoral, you cannot coerce military service from the unwilling in a free society. I wish that more Americans would enter the military, but that is a decision they have to make on their own. As for the standing army concept, those of us who have chosen military service as our career are for the most part consumate professionals who love this country dearly and strive to uphold the ideals this country was founded on. We take seriously our oathe "To Uphold and Defend the Constitution of the United States Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic".The thought of the military taking control sickens us. Semper Fi

[Sabertooth]

"And I support the draft not for what it will possibly do for draftees, but because the Founding Fathers very wisely were suspicious of a large standing army, which most certainly now have."

The Founders were so justly suspicious of standing armies. But your conclusion that they therefore favored conscription is a non-sequiteur.

Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress given the power to conscript. Nor was there any American tradition of conscription at the time of Ratification. Never during the Revolutionary War nor under the Articles of Confederation was the Continental Congress given the power to conscript. It isn't there, and never was.

I'm not criticizing military service, but the draft is contrary to the plain meaning of the Constitution.