Show VIEWPOINTS VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF POINTS WEST OR Dear Editor I will state outright that I believe in the draft I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall attempt to explain why in this letter Up until the First World War the United States had more or less what we would call an all volunteer Armed Forces Since then they have found that they were not getting the caliber of people they needed in order to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain the status quo or to put it to keep others from thinking or attempting attempting attempting at at- tempting to come in and try to take over our beloved beloved beloved be be- loved country With the advancement of technology as it is today you can bet there are countries countries countries coun- coun tries drooling at the mou mouth th with the prospect of doing just that or blackmailing us into a position position position po po- that we have no other way out but to go to war People today have gotten gotten gotten got got- ten too darn complacent or orthey orthey orthey they dont don't want to do something because there is a risk in it They dont don't realize that the minute they put their foot on the floor in the morning or whenever that they are taking the biggest risk of all in so doing We only learn from our mistakes and not from hiding from realty which it seems to tome tome tome me alot of people are doing now days Those who refuse the draft dont don't always get off as easy as they thought they would There are alternatives alternatives alternatives al al- to combat duty if you are the least bit intelligent intelligent intelligent in in- and show a knack for a g given ven field Oh sure you dont don't always get the job you like but neither does the other person If you desire not to carry a weapon then state so when you file for selective ser ser- vice That is one thing that was beneficial about the Vietnam Era wherein you stated your opposition to such and you received training in non-combative non related fields The youth of today dont don't think like their predecessor sor in that they are not as creative and they dont don't have the initiative and cannot that there are those who went on before before before be be- fore them that deserve some measure of respect Those who are intelligent intelligent intelligent intelli intelli- gent but cannot get an education beyond high school because of finances could spend three or so years in the service and come out with 45 months of educational benefits due them if they desire to enter that pro pro- gram This would take very little remuneration on their part say 2500 a month or more Life is getting getting getting get get- ting so that without an education of any kind you cannot obtain a job So all I say is look at things carefully before you refuse to reg register ster for Selective Selective ti tive ve Service Sincerely Yours Seth T. T |