A Return to the Military Draft
It was with great disappointment that I read Powell’s argument in favor of returning to the draft. For a man who served such an important position as presidential press secretary in the Carter Administration to show such ignorance and/or disrespect for the U.S. Constitution is disheartening.
The 13th Amendment simply states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Webster’s defines this kind of draft as “the choosing or taking of persons, esp. for compulsory military service.” That definitely sounds like a case of involuntary servitude to me.
Powell compounds his ignorance by failing to say what he would do with all of these draftees. If he wishes to defend the United States, he should know that there has always been an abundance of volunteers whenever the United States has been threatened. If, however, he wishes for another Vietnam-style war where American security is not threatened, he may very well need slaves to defend this kind of “freedom.”
It is curious how these kind of issues always go back to the Constitution. Perhaps the authors of the 13th Amendment knew what they were doing when they restricted the government’s right to conscript the citizenry.
PAT WRIGHT
San Diego
Wright is chair of the San Diego Libertarian Party.
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