Paying debts to the country

While I respect Dan Garretson’s opinion in his June 29 letter [“Forget the draft”], I disagree. Making it mandatory for our youth to serve their country would be one of the best things to happen. Though perceived as punitive by the author, it’s called paying your debts to society.

I’m of the opinion that too many of our youth — a lot of adults also — want to nurse at America’s breast with no idea of what it costs to feed them. Thousands of “individualists” and Garretson’s so-called “undesirables” have gone into the service and emerged individualist with purpose, respect and gratitude for the nation. We should require this service of women as well.

One may ask about conscientious objectors. It’s well documented that, during World War II, many of these individuals who would not or could not kill signed up as frontline medics. They realized that, even though they couldn’t kill, they had a debt to pay their country.

For those who for some reason could not physically serve, there is the Peace Corps or something similar. Additionally, I get tired of hearing youth whine about not having money for college. Go do your service to your country and earn it.

To classify the draft as slavery is ludicrous. Though it may fit that one definition, it would not be one race or class of people subjugating their will on another because all races and all classes of people would have the same duty.

Another well-documented fact of World War II is that the draft put Harvard-educated men in the same foxholes with me, and I never finished school. From their own statements, this brought understanding and appreciation to both groups of people, erasing a lot of preconceptions that both groups had about each other.

I’m not sure I’ve ever agreed with Harley Johnson before, but in his June 22 column, “I’m anti-war, pro-draft,” he nailed it on this subject.

Ernest C. Bauman III

Waco

No real solutions offered

I read Donna Hurst’s June 30 response to my letter of a few days earlier. She closed with, “Unfortunately, there often seems to be a streak of self-righteousness and smugness revealed that isn’t particularly appealing.” I’ll not assume this comment was directed at me since Hurst and I have never met.

I do agree with her that it is indeed very frustrating when persons respond to legitimate questions by disparaging the character of the one seeking honest answers rather than offering factual information that could further the conversation.

I also agree the current health system is ridiculous. I’m just not seeing how her comments further the debate on a legitimate solution or actually provide some answers to the original questions I raised.

Wes Eades

Waco

Curnock and bratwurst

In Bremond, a little town just north of College Station, there’s a festival the last Saturday of June each year. It’s known as Bremond Polish Day. This past Saturday, I was fortunate enough to come across this celebration, where polka music and the smell of bratwurst danced in the air to the hum of trucks and tractors.

But what I found most interesting was the campaign of Rob Curnock, running for Congress in the 2010 mid-term elections. I hope he wins. He has 25 years of local political activism. More importantly the principles on which he stands have been proven to work.

The most notable of these is strengthening and empowering local governments. I find the belief that local people are best equipped to solve local problems refreshing in a world where government wants to centralize power with an “intellectual elite” living in a distant capital.

I was also struck by his attendance. The representative for Congressional District 17, Chet Edwards, was not in attendance. Now I fully understand Edwards is a busy man and has a lot to do in Washington, but I find it odd that this district’s state representative, Jim Dunnam, was present and Edwards was nowhere to be found.

Matthew Johnson

College Station

Amending the Constitution?

Recent 5-4 Supreme Court decisions point out that something bold must be done to protect U.S. citizens from having their rights taken away by conservative justices hell-bent on doing so.

Four conservative justices; four liberal justices. One moderate. Congress must either pass new legislation or consider a constitutional amendment that would allow 5-4 court decisions on congressional laws enacted but mandate a two-thirds majority vote on any court ruling that overturns past Supreme Court rulings.

We cannot have “swing-vote” justice deciding monumental court rulings that affect our lives and those of future generations. A super-majority vote is needed and long overdue.

David Orosz

Waco

Franken heads for D.C.

So Al Frankenstein of “Saturday Night Live” has won the disputed U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota. Now the communists have enough seats with the aid of Republicans In Name Only to cram the hideous agenda of Obamunism down our throats.

Are the 2010 mid-term elections here yet? Each day more and more of the toiling masses are waking up to the travesty of this administration.

C.W. Raines

Waco