This letter is a response to an earlier column on conscription.

I would like to make the point that registering for the draft is vital to the protection of the United States. The argument given for ending conscription is that it robs young people of their rights. If I’m not mistaken, our rights were bought with the blood of our fellow Americans. Sacrifices, including sacrificing some rights only while in the military, must be made by young people to preserve our country and national ideals.

Since the beginning of our nation, young people gave their lives for something greater than themselves. Ending conscription would severely hurt our capability to defend ourselves in the event of a major war. All citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 should be required to register for the draft as a civic duty. Our nation is a cultural union of many different peoples, everyone should be equal under federal law and that includes draft related laws. Conscription doesn’t rob young people of their rights. War robs young people of their lives. The price of freedom is a steep one, and we all need to remember that. Nations pay for freedom with the blood of young people. I’m not going to sugar coat that since you (the reader) and I are most likely eligible to be drafted. By registering, we in a manner of speaking put our lives on the line for our nation.

This raises the stakes of a major war, making one less likely to occur since so many young people would suffer in one. I assert that having conscription as a possibility, reduces the risk of war breaking out while providing a valuable service of ensuring that our military has the resources it needs.

Tristan Gomez

Senior, Horticulture