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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (186456)	9/25/2001 2:59:01 PM
From: DMaA	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

Be on the look out for lunacy like this in the guise of patriotism - defend freedom through conscription. Vance Opperman: No one's too old to guard homeland, so draft us now Vance Opperman Published Sep 23 2001 Politicians, old men and radio talk show hosts are always the first to advocate drafting young men to fight in foreign wars. They have the age group and location wrong. All the emphasis today seems to be in finding the terrorists or "evildoers" -- are they in Afghanistan, other foreign countries or in caves? A great deal of international debate is centered on the question of the identity and location of the terrorists responsible for the events of Sept. 11. I don't know where these terrorists are, but I know where I don't want them to be -- around water treatment plants, schools, national monuments and other parts of our social and economic infrastructure. The vast majority of men in their 40s and 50s either were not drafted (the draft was abolished in 1974) or avoided service during the Vietnam War. Draft us now. The country is awash in flags and statements of patriotism. Bridge overpasses have flags draped over them. Many of our buildings, schools and recreation centers have flags and other emblems of this sudden outburst of patriotism. But who is guarding those bridges and buildings? Unlike the Vietnam War which was fought thousands of miles away, the first battles of today's war have already been fought in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. This battle should be fought here by a new branch of the military and under military discipline filled by conscripts in the Homeland Defense Corps (HLDC). It is time for this patriotism to take a more active and permanent form. The price of freedom has gone up. The opportunity to serve our country is at hand. Draft us into the HLDC. President Bush has told us that our new enemy attacks and hides in shadows. I know a powerful weapon against shadows -- flashlights. Our water treatment plants, electric generating plants and other potential targets of terrorist attack should be guarded night and day by members of the Homeland Defense Corps. Patriots who serve on weekends and several shifts during the week can be equipped with telecommunication to command centers (and armed backup), flashlights, video cameras when necessary, and most importantly, their eyes and ears. This branch of the armed services need make no distinctions between gender and all of the other irrelevant classifications that used to divide us. All can serve. Draft us now. Americans have shown in recent days that they want to help. We've seen donations, blood drives, every conceivable show of patriotism and even radio talk show chatter -- but what we ought to be doing to bring security to our country is a massive and sustained effort to guard our society. That's why we need the Homeland Defense Corps -- draft us now. Many will be called upon to sacrifice in this coming struggle. There are many people in younger generations who have not seen the example of national sacrifice. We should set that example now. Younger men and women will begin to understand the need for sacrifice when their parents (and grandparents) are drafted into the Homeland Defense Corps. A democracy as diverse as ours does well when its various members work together for a common purpose. At an earlier and more innocent time, one of the advantages of attending Twins and Vikings games was that people from all different backgrounds got together to cheer and enjoy a common experience. Today we should share that common experience in units serving duty to protect our community. A unit of the HLDC made up of an Edina banker, an African-American teacher, a Muslim-American and two homemakers protecting a recreation center or, if necessary, a mosque, would be a good thing. Draft us now. There are many in the world who doubt our resolve. There are many countries that are being asked to take risks which they do not believe we are willing to shoulder. If we are to act vigilant, we must be vigilant. If we appear serious in mobilizing our country for its common defense, we show we are resolute. We also need these useful reminders that the world has changed forever and we must never be complacent again. For five years I have done a television program with Jason Lewis, one of our more bellicose right-wing radio talk show hosts on AM-1500. Jason and I have exactly the same amount of military service (I urge you to listen to him to determine what that amount is). I would be honored to serve in a unit of the Homeland Defense Corps with him and other Americans guarding vital parts of our society. Draft us now. Let's take the midnight to 4 a.m. shift. I'll bring the latte. -- Vance Opperman, of Wayzata, is a corporate executive, Democratic activist and cohost of ''Face to Face'' at 11 a.m. Sundays on KTCA-TV, Channel 2. startribune.com How much you wanna bet old Vancey will volunteer to serve on the executive committee.