Friday, May 25, 2007

Is America better off with a volunteer military?

This question is worth contemplating as we head into the Memorial Day weekend.

For many of those who grew up during the Vietnam War era, the subsequent elimination of the draft was a welcome development. Yet the advent of the all-voluntary military has allowed most Americans to remain very tuned out as the war in Iraq goes on and on.

Even with the approval of additional funding for the war, Bush administration officials are working to lower expectations, raising the question of when this misadventure will come to an end.

Meanwhile, In Providence, Mark Stahl sends word that the local organizing group Declaration of Peace was slated to have a vigil, from noon to 1 pm today, in front of US Senator Jack Reed's Provdence office. "We are considering making this a weekly vigil," Mark writes. "The vigil this week will be in keeping with Memorial Day and will be a simple display of the boots of soldiers killed in Iraq with information on the human cost of war and the need for adequate services for veterans. Please join us if you can and let us know what you think of the idea. For more information, please email sene@afsc.org or call 401-521-3584."

Activism | Iraq | National Security