” The most fundamental objection to draft registration is moral.. A draft or draft registration destroys the very values that our society is committed to defending. “

” (Conscription) rests on the assumption that your kids belong to the state. If we buy that assumption then it is for the state- not for parents, the community, the religious institutions, or teachers- to decide who shall have what values and who shall do what work, when, where, and how in our society. That assumption isn’t a new one. The Nazis thought it was a great idea.”
- Ronald Reagan

Washington, DC: Echoing the sentiments of President Reagan, Congressman Ron Paul recently introduced legislation urging Congress not to reinstate a military draft in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks. Paul, who served as a flight surgeon in the Air Force, disagrees with those who would use terrorism as a rationale for reviving conscription.

“Military conscription ended over 30 years ago, and our voluntary armed services have fulfilled the military needs of the United States,” Paul stated. “The recent success of our military campaign in Afghanistan once again demonstrates the ability of the volunteer military to respond to threats to the lives, liberty, and property of the people of the United States. In fact, a draft may actually weaken military effectiveness by introducing tension and rivalries between volunteers and conscripts. This undermines the vital cohesiveness of military units. Even the Department of Defense acknowledges that a draft is unnecessary.”

“Furthermore, a military draft violates the very principles of individual liberty this country was founded upon,” Paul continued. “It is no exaggeration to state that military conscription is better suited to a totalitarian government, such as the recently dethroned Taliban regime, than a free society. The notion of involuntary servitude is incompatible with a free society and our tradition of liberty.”

“The real focus should be on improving pay and benefits for our military personnel and veterans, which would make service more attractive and improve retention,” Paul concluded. “It’s outrageous that our soldiers and veterans are made a lower priority in the federal budget than special interest spending. Until Congress addresses this problem, we will never have a military that reflect our nation’s highest ideals.”

President Reagan is not the only prominent American to oppose conscription. In fact, throughout American history the draft has been opposed by Americans across the political spectrum, from Henry David Thoreau to Barry Goldwater to Bill Bradley to Jesse Ventura. Organizations opposed to conscription range from the American Civil Liberties Union to the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, and from the National Taxpayers Union to the Conservative Caucus. Other major figures opposing conscription include current Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman.

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