Names of the Dead

Whenever an American service member is killed in the Afghan War or related operations, the New York Times runs a small box in the News Section called “Names of the Dead.”  I always feel an obligation to read it.  Today’s text reads:  “ROGERS, Justin R., 25, Sgt., Army; Barton, N.Y.; 101st Airborne Division.”

Yesterday Curtis W. Tarr, director of the Selective Service System from 1970 to 1972, died of complications of pneumonia.  He was 88.

What Mr. Tarr did was reduce the number of medical and student deferments.  This tended to concentrate the minds of young Americans, since any male of draft age might be called up to serve.  One of the main reasons why so many college-age young men  opposed the Vietnam War was because they didn’t want to die.  When Nixon instituted an all-volunteer army, much of the opposition to the war vanished.

It is time to bring back the draft.  It is ignoble and undemocratic for a small group of men and women to carry the burden of national military service.  We call them heroes and honor them in ceremonies, but bottom line, most of the people who die in Afghanistan are from what Romney called the 47%. 

I wonder if we would even be in Afghanistan if any American had an equal opportunity to serve.  The draft is so unpopular that no politician that I know of--Democrat or Republican--is advocating its return.  Nevertheless, it is the only fair way to equalize the burden of national defense.  It is time we brought it back.  If we had, ROGERS, Justin, might be alive today.