preview

Persuasive Essay : What Is A Mandatory Military Service?

Good Essays

Mandatory Military Service
What right do we truly have to claim our freedom? Have we earned it? Have we worked for it? Have we toiled and struggled and served in exchange for freedom? The answer for most is no. The majority of citizens in the United States do not feel obligated to work for their freedom, which can be considered problematic for our nation’s future. Would military service in exchange for earned freedom and citizenship be a solution to this problem? Or could an argument be made that there is no problem at all? Opinions on this subject differ drastically from person to person. In the essay, “What You Can Do For Your Country,” James Herbert Bushman speaks of instituting a mandatory military service requirement of three years, starting before the age of twenty-four. Bushman states his belief that as a requisite of citizenship, you must serve in a branch of the military. He claims that a necessary service will benefit more than only the military, but will benefit individual people as well by increasing the feeling of unity, the knowledge and skillset of the individual, and will grant equal pay and benefits for all in service. Bushman suggests that everyone who is unwilling to serve their country is no better than a freeloader or a beggar on a street corner, mooching off others’ efforts and earnings. Similarly, he repeats the old phrase ‘freedom is not free,’ and insinuates that everyone must work equally for their share of freedom. Additionally, Bushman suggests that mandatory military service could potentially help quite a few people. One group that would be favorably affected is those who can’t afford college. Military.com has an overview of how the military will pay for up to $4,500 in Tuition Assistance during service. Once in the military, they could attend college without the weight of paying full tuition. Though, we must think of the cost of increased military personnel. The United States already uses roughly fifty percent of its total spending on the military (about 600 billion), as stated in the chart for discretionary spending found on nationalpriorities.org. Would the country and government be able to support a military of increased size? Could the country supply the

Get Access