Archived Edition: April 20, 2004 | Back to Current	Jul 31, 2010

The responsibility of privilege
Daniel Gura - CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The continued war for the control and establishment of democracy in Iraq hits closer to home here at Williams than many of us would like to think. For people our age, this war is vastly important, and the very decision of 18-year-olds around the country to join the military is something that should be considered and addressed by all of us.

On May 1, 2003 President Bush stood under a banner that proclaimed “Mission Accomplished” and declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq. The Defense Department estimates that since then approximately 491 American soldiers have been killed, along with 20 British soldiers. This victory announcement came after an estimated 6370 soldiers had been killed during the initial fight for Iraq.

These dead solders are not very different from college students like you or me. Most of them are within the 18 to 25 age bracket. Most are using the military either as a way to pay for college or to learn job skills.

The only glaring difference between us and them is obvious: we wake to snow-capped hills and a day full of class and practice, while they wake to gunshots and the flashing lights of explosions. Most on the front lines don’t come from the same level of privilege that many of us have the great fortune to enjoy. For many, military service presents itself as an alternative to a deadbeat job.

On the surface, this mentality is not a negative one, so long as we don’t go to war. Once we do, our country must realize that it is the poor who fight our wars. Because of this, I believe that there is a real need to reinstate the universal national draft.

 This argument has been one of continuous partisan debate for some time. The main argument for the draft has focused on racial discrimination. In my view, this argument doesn’t work, as I believe that the polarization in this country is now less the result of racial separation than of economic stratification. People who are poor live similar lives and are forced to make like decisions. One such decision is to join the military in order to have a better life than one’s parents or grandparents. This is a decision that is both scary and wrong to me as an American.

 The counter argument to my contention is tenable if one only argues race. The truth about race in the military is that Caucasians are much more likely to join the infantry ranks in the military. Furthermore, when African Americans do enlist in the infantry, they do so on a percentage scale that is less than their overall military representation.

Also, the opposition would say that it is better for people who have voluntarily signed up to fight than those who are forced to go. It’s my very basic contention that many people in the military now don’t really want be there but rather see it as the only opportunity that they have.

It is obviously difficult to assert that the military does not provide great opportunities to those who join and that those who do are not enlisting completely voluntarily. However, what is not fair is that those in power who make the decision to go to war usually have very little personal interest in the individuals who are placed in harm’s way.

Last year, I had the great fortune of meeting former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. He spoke briefly about his feelings on the movie “Thirteen Days.” One complaint that stuck out to me was his contention that the movie over-dramatized the extent of the military brass’ desire to use force against the Russians.

In fact, McNamara asserted that military men rarely wanted to press for military action due to their compassion for the troops. This connection is exactly what I believe is missing for Congress and the President.

A recent study found that only one member of the Senate had a child listed in active duty in the military. A similarly small percentage was found in the House of Representatives. The sad but true fact of this country is that the rich decide when we go to war, while those who are less fortunate pay for it, possibly with their lives.

I would be a fool if I told you that I believe President Bush or any other modern president cared less about the lives of the poor than those of the rich; however, that cannot stop us from evaluating the makeup of our military forces.

With or without the draft, many of the same people would still join the military because of the tremendous opportunities it presents. There is nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is creating a system that leaves many with no other option, while others make the decision to go to war without ever having to truly feel its price.

Whether I support the current war is not the question at hand, but I can say that if I were randomly and fairly selected to go and fight in Iraq, I would serve my country to the best of my ability, as any American ought to do.

All I ask is that we as Williams students do not forget that we do not represent the American norm; rather, we are some of America’s luckiest, and some of its brightest.

With this privilege comes an even graver price, a responsibility to ensure that we uphold the very sacred principles of this great country. This might mean that, in fact, some of us should be helping to fight this war rather than relying on those who have no other option in life. Serving your country should not be merely a job but a requirement.