To the editor:

No disrespect to Mr. Hoeflich or Col. Overstreet, but I think reinstating the draft would be a bad idea. I would agree if our country was invaded, such as was the case in the bombing of Pearl Harbor, then, yes, a national draft would be in order. However, have we forgotten Vietnam, where 58,000 young Americans, mostly draftees, lost their lives in an unjust, immoral war? They did not die for their country but died due to the stupidity, recklessness and poor judgment of overzealous politicians.

It is morally wrong to force young Americans to lay down their lives for insufficient reason. Unfortunately, war and patriotism have become synonymous. Sometimes it is a true patriot who condemns war started because of misinformation or bad judgment. If a young man or woman enlists, he or she should be confident that their government is not going to possibly risk their lives unnecessarily. Again, it is unfortunate that history repeats itself and countries continue to start wars for less than adequate reason, under the disguise of national security and patriotism.

Was the war in Iraq necessary? How many young Americans and innocent Iraqis lost their lives because of misinformation? There were no weapons of mass destruction and no haven for terrorists. I don’t think reinstating the draft will solve any social problems, bond us together or make us any more patriotic. My main point is that as long as our country continues to make bad decisions regarding military aggression, a national draft is wrong.