Required service in the armed forces
would create a military made up of members from all walks of life. Minorities and the less
privileged are overrepresented in our nation's voluntary military. The privileged class is
underrepresented in our nation's voluntary military. Military service is voluntary, and the
burden of military service unfairly falls on minority groups and the poor. Minorities make
up more than 37% of the military. But they only make up 35% of the population of the United
States. African-Americans make up more than 22% of the armed forces personnel. But they make
up only 12% of the population nationwide. These racial imbalances put minorities at a greater
risk of being killed or injured during times of war. The middle and upper classes have largely
avoided military service in the last few decades. All Americans must share the burden and
honor of defending America. The mandatory draft of World War II had a democratizing effect
on the military and the nation as a whole. A universal draft would create a more cohesive
America, with rich and poor, minorities and Whites all serving together.
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