The most common and reasonable way for citizens to enter into the military was through drafting. At a certain age of every citizen’s life, they were drafted to join the military and there were few ways to avoid it. One way was to be a college student. As simple as it sounds, it was not convenient for everyone. There was still a social class standard. With the limited number of universities available, the children of elites were more likely to pay their way in.
This led many of the youth antiwar activists. The “New Left” as they were called, became victim to government harassment. Shootings and violent or vulgar behavior sprouted amongst students throughout campuses. Eventually, the New Left movement dissolved around the 1970’s.
As I read through this, I was reminded of a conversation I had with my boyfriend. He feared going back to his country because of the drafting. Some countries still undergo this process and subject citizens of a certain age (usually males of 18) to join the military by force. In the US, there is the option for one to join the military voluntarily. The government today entices the youth to join by providing them with funds for education, living expenses or medical care. I have a friend who joined the military on the basis of not being able to pay off his small debts. Some people are offered jobs in the military. I have another friend who joined the military as a sort of “job” in order to get health benefits for himself and his son. I, myself, was recruited to join the Marines two years ago.
There are more and more subtle ways that the government is prodding the youth to serve their country, and because of the many hardships and struggles that quite a few young Americans have to go through, many feel that this is their best option. The government is winning in that sense. What the youth back then fought to alleviate, the youth now feels the necessity to volunteer.
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