The Draft In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried
A Lottery that You Don’t Want to Win
“I remember opening up the letter, scanning the first few lines, feeling the blood go thick behind my eyes. I remember a sound in my head. It wasn’t thinking, just a silent howl.”
– Tim O’Brien, The Things they Carried
Have you ever taken the time to think about how you feel about the draft? Do you feel it is the government’s right to tell you to serve in the military? In times of war there is always the possibility of a draft. Drafting for military purpose has dated back to the Thirteen Colonies and could still be used today. Although it has been in existence for a very long time the draft has been used in 5 major wars: the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and again for the Vietnam War.
Before American Independence the Colonies used the law to make young, white men serve in the militia, which was comprised of soldiers who were also civilians. It required healthy men to train for the militia and serve if needed. After the constitution was adopted Congress left it up to the individual states to judge on militia matters. In 1778, the Continental Congress suggested to the states that they require men from the militia to …show more content…
The view of the draft was that it was unfair because it targeted poor and middle class families, most of which did not come from wealth and could not afford to go to college or use their family name to get a good job in the National Guard. College campuses became a center for war protests and draft demonstrations. Many of the protestors were students who feared they would be drafted before completion of graduation, when they could be deferred from the draft. Many men showed their defiance by burning their draft cards and fleeing the country. During this time there was a huge boom of marriages; men hoping that by getting married it would give them reason to be
“I remember opening up the letter, scanning the first few lines, feeling the blood go thick behind my eyes. I remember a sound in my head. It wasn’t thinking, just a silent howl.”
– Tim O’Brien, The Things they Carried
Have you ever taken the time to think about how you feel about the draft? Do you feel it is the government’s right to tell you to serve in the military? In times of war there is always the possibility of a draft. Drafting for military purpose has dated back to the Thirteen Colonies and could still be used today. Although it has been in existence for a very long time the draft has been used in 5 major wars: the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and again for the Vietnam War.
Before American Independence the Colonies used the law to make young, white men serve in the militia, which was comprised of soldiers who were also civilians. It required healthy men to train for the militia and serve if needed. After the constitution was adopted Congress left it up to the individual states to judge on militia matters. In 1778, the Continental Congress suggested to the states that they require men from the militia to …show more content…
The view of the draft was that it was unfair because it targeted poor and middle class families, most of which did not come from wealth and could not afford to go to college or use their family name to get a good job in the National Guard. College campuses became a center for war protests and draft demonstrations. Many of the protestors were students who feared they would be drafted before completion of graduation, when they could be deferred from the draft. Many men showed their defiance by burning their draft cards and fleeing the country. During this time there was a huge boom of marriages; men hoping that by getting married it would give them reason to be