A Day of Silence
Every year, on the "Day of Silence", I wear the rainbow ribbon. This year, however, I'm feeling more and more like a hypocrite lately, living a lie when it comes to young people to whom I perceive myself as a role model.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1660786/a_day_of_silence.html

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On Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the Pentagon would be ending an 18-year moratorium on coverage of the return of the war dead to Dover Air Force Base.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1518852/obama_lifts_moratorium_on_coverage.html

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The state of our union is at once both regretful and promising. What once seemed like the highest of highs in the nineties crashed and burned early this century. The past seven-plus years have greatly diminished our relationship with the world and each other. But with the record length of a presidential campaign coming towards a foreseeable end, hope looms on the horizon.

Without question, the nineties will be remembered as a time of prosperity and good times. The economy was performing well, people were working, and home sales soared to record numbers. The nineties weren't all that rosy, however. The popularity of a President incited a wave of hatred towards him and all he represented, and that abhorrence came to a head in the election of 2000.

I hadn't realized the hate I'd developed towards the other side until the day after results of the election were finally confirmed. I was so angry at the time; I spent several hours putting all my frustrations on to twelve pages of paper, only to be ripped into pieces in the frustration of the helplessness I felt. Although the country had been experiencing good times, there was a certain group of people bonded together to start a movement, playing on the sentiments that would divide the masses by appealing to a segment of the population motivated by the distractive issues that had nothing to do with the nation as a whole, but issues that affected the liberties of the individual. Pundits and politicians alike played on moral issues to divide and conquer. From big-time radio pundits like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, to the rising political players in the neo-con' movement, the American people flocked towards opposite ends of the spectrum, separating us into the red and the blue. In the moments of haphazard penning, I realized that this marked a turning point in our history. It was an event that would change the way we existed as a nation. The goal of dividing the country in two had been successful.

With the endowment of the presidency to George Bush by the Supreme Court in 2000, the lines had been drawn. Left-Leaning Americans were left in a state of shock as the Bush era forged ahead reversing an agenda that was the complete opposite from anything Clinton had done. At first, it seemed innocuous. The most egregious offense committed by Bush during the first nine months of his presidency was his record length of vacation time. That is, until September 11th.
At the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the country became as united as never before. I recall being moved to tears as I witnessed the displays of unity all around me. Flags and banners hung on highway overpasses, the glances of solidarity towards fellow Americans became a source of comfort, and candlelight vigils outside my home with all my neighbors present all gave me the feeling of intense nationalism. I was overwhelmed with love and pride for my country.

In the aftermath, the President had the support of the nation and the world. He had been given the opportunity to take his place among the great leaders in history, to harness the collective energy of a grieving nation to face adversity in the eye and overcome it. Indeed, the world would have been behind him had he'd made the right decisions in achieving justice for what had been done.

Instead, September 11th, 2001 has become a point in time from whence our great United States became disjointed. Far too many controversial and decisive issues have been brought to the forefront to discuss in detail here, but needless to say, the country has been longing for something, or someone, to come along, to take us away from all this madness and bring us together as a country again.

The present campaign for the Presidential election of 2008 began in November 2004. Never before in our history has there been such an eagerness for change so early on in an administration. As we begin 2008 with the knowledge that change is on the horizon, people seem to be getting a little excited, and that's a good thing. Clearly, the Democratic Party, the party that's been suppressed for the past twenty-plus years is finally regaining the confidence it needs to right the ship. We have been presented with a group of talented people who all have the ability to right the ship, and we are fortunate to be given the chance to choose from among them. Every candidate on the Democratic side possesses the ability to steer the country back towards unity and prosperity.

In this campaign cycle, we are presented with two clear choices: a group of candidates who promise a redirection from the regretful course we've taken, and those who would continue to play on our fears and our divisions to their own ends, leading us further towards the demise of our great society. I am confident that the choice has already been made. The only question left is which person will be chosen to take the lead.

There is a light on the horizon. There is hope that Americans will finally see through all that's happened the past seven years and look towards the future once again with hope, hope that our time as a beacon for democracy and a champion for human rights has not ended. Of course, not everyone shares this optimism. There are still those out there who wish to continue the great divide for whatever reason. But for the first time in a long time, there is hopefulness. And come November 4th, the outlook is surely promising. And maybe, just maybe, we'll become the "United" States of America once again.

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The United States needs to institute a military draft. Many countries around the world require some sort of military service of all its' citizens, and it's about time we do, as well. While this may be an unpopular position, it is the best option to force Americans into societal participation. This effect on the general population is worth the sacrifice of mandatory military service. It would help to restore the principles upon which America was founded.

Our republic was established on the ideology that the general population has the definitive power to select leaders who will govern for the betterment of the nation. The core of the principles of democracy centers on participation of the citizenry in the decision-making process. This is accomplished through the election process. When populace is unhappy with the current state of affairs, it has the option of voting for leaders they think could make things better.
Unfortunately, our democracy has metamorphosized into something quite different, and a military draft may just help to change things for the better.

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked in a horrible way by an enemy many didn't even know existed. In the immediate aftermath, nationalism ran at a fever pitch. People from all walks of life; men and women, old and young, black and white, were willing to volunteer to contribute to the cause of response to the provocation initiated by this new enemy. Consequentially, the war in Afghanistan was met with praise as a proper response to the attacks. Patriotism was everywhere, as was the notion of supporting the troops. We were united as Americans in a way not seen since World War II.

The decisions made by our leaders in the ensuing period failed to capitalize on this state of mind for the betterment of the nation. Instead, all of that nationalism was squandered. Rather than being asked to pitch in, we were told to go about our lives and let the government handle it. "Go shopping", the President told us, and many did what they were told. Slowly, but surely, those feelings of patriotism faded.

In the subsequent months and years, the "War on Terror" became a tool used to paralyze the nation into fear, as our leaders sought to exploit the state of affairs for their own gain. The War in Iraq was the initial step in this master plan. Eventually, with the shock and awe turning into a quagmire, mass apathy began to take hold of the populace. People distanced themselves more and more from the horrors of the situation.

Fright initially persuaded many to go along with the war at first. Instead of trying to calm these feelings of fear, our leaders chose to use it as a tool to subjugate the population into mass lethargy. Our participative mission in this "Global" war was to run to the local convenience store and buy a "Support Our Troops" bumper sticker. This would make us all feel better about ourselves, but did nothing for the benefit of the nation or the troops.

Who supports the troops, really? In a way, we all do. We want them to be safe in whatever they're doing as they represent us in the world. The pertinent question herein is: How many of us take the time to monitor the decisions that steer our policies and actions? The population has become seemingly unable or even unworthy to participate in the democracy. Genuine supporters of the troops are those with direct or indirect connections to someone who serves in the military. They're the people most likely to pay attention to government policy. They experience the very real connection between the actions of government and real lives.

A military draft surely would be unpopular. Few politicians have dared to bring it up. Charles Rangel, a congressman from New York brought up the notion on more than one occasion and was subjected to ridicule from fellow members of Congress, and many in the political punditry machine that plagues our airwaves. Leaders have become fearful to support draft legislation for fear of losing their seats. Getting reelected seems more important than doing the right thing. Making unpopular decisions is the sign of a true leader, as long as they benefit the country. This debate, though, is a topic for another conversation.

Enacting conscription is a tough decision to make, there is no doubt. However, it's an important choice that will help to clear a path back towards the true democracy that our forefathers envisioned. It would cause people to care again, to become mindful of the actions that affect both the nation and its citizens. Sometimes, we all need to be forced to take some much needed ownership of our country's actions in the world, to take time out of our busy lives to pay attention, and to hold accountable those who decide for us.

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