By Dexter Gauntlett
Daily Bruin Staff
In a move that could redirect high school graduates from hitting
the college books to hitting military targets for the 2004 freshman
class, one House representative is calling on America’s youth
to relearn the meaning of national unity and obligation to the
country.
The bill, House Resolution 3598 proposed by Representative Nick
Smith, would be “phased in” over 10 years and would
require all male high school graduates to partake in “boot
camp,” history/international relations classes and volunteer
in national service programs for at least six months starting in
2004.
Students attending universities in 2004 would not be affected by
the bill and would not need to drop out.
The bill, awaiting review by the House Armed Services Committee,
is a revised version of a bill that was introduced in December. It
is one of the nation’s first legislative responses to
President Bush’s State of the Union request for every
American to commit two years of service to the country.
Some students opposed the military part of the bill, but said
they saw the importance of having an international perspective.
“It’s important for people to know about
what’s going on in other countries and how it affects the
United States,” said second-year undeclared student Ashkan
Moghaddam.
However, he rejected the idea of making boot camp mandatory.
“Some people might not want to do it, and it’s their
right to refuse,” he said.
National unity is not as strong as it was 50 years ago, Smith
said, and the current war on terrorism could last for decades,
making understanding homeland security and international relations
crucial.
“America faces a unique moment in history: our nation is
at war, our homeland was attacked, and our personal security is
more at risk than it has probably ever been since World War
II,” Smith said in a statement.
The bill requires two months of “boot camp” which
includes a rigorous physical training requirement similar to the
training enlisted army members complete, said Joshua Sabin, a
spokesman for Smith.
The second half of the bill requires a minimum of four months of
service in a volunteer program such as the recently-established USA
Freedom Corps, in addition to history and international relations
classes.
“People should have some obligation to participate in
defending and serving their country. This responsibility comes with
the freedoms we all enjoy,” Smith said.
To fourth-year psychology student Shaun Consiglio, the classes,
which would be taught by military personnel, seem like they could
be brainwashing.
“The government would be teaching kids what they want them
to learn, and the kids are being forced to do it,” he
said.
“I wouldn’t want to say that I’m not
patriotic, but it should be my decision if I want to fight for my
country,” he continued.
The bill must be approved by the House Armed Services Committee
before an official vote on the House floor can take place.
Under the bill, enlisting in the reserves is not mandatory upon
completing the program. The bill does not mention anything along
the lines of a draft.
The current bill is the result of an earlier resolution
submitted by Smith that called for only military training over six
months and did not include classes or community service.
Conscientious objectors ““ people who say their religion
prohibits them from participating in fighting ““ will be
exempt from the combat portion of the training, according to the
bill. But the appeal would need to be approved by a branch of the
Armed Services.
Carmen Trotta of the New York City-based War Resisters League,
which rejects the use of violence for national defense or for
revolutionary change, and who is committed to ending war, opposes
the bill.
“The bill supports the militarization of everyday
life,” he said.
Trotta cited the recent passing of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as
a symbol for why people should oppose the bill and military efforts
in general.
“In 1967, Dr. King talked about an emerging pattern of
oppression. It was symptomatic of a far deeper malady in the
American spirit, emanating from the U.S.,” Trotta said.
He added that it was also in this speech that King said a nation
that spends more money on defense each year than social programs is
on a road toward spiritual death.
“We have potentially gone there with the bombing of
Afghanistan,” Trotta said.