Maybe we should bring back the military draft. Shouldn't service be universal? | Anderson

A friend of mine in government recently traveled to Israel on a legislative fact-finding tour.  One of the events she attended caught my eye: It was a group of young folks, in their 20s, celebrating their admission into the armed services.

Everyone – until recently only ultra-orthodox folks were exempt (along with some of Arab heritage) – is bound by law to serve from the age of 18 for 24-36 months. In addition to the most common service in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) there is also an option for alternative service (for those who qualify) called Sherut Leumi.

Originally organized for women who were living a more traditional life, the program has expanded to many — of both genders — who are pacifists or otherwise unsuitable or incapable of military service. Most of this service is in the education sector, but also can include helping new immigrants, working with troubled teens, in hospitals, with geriatrics in nursing homes and in other public service roles.

Working in this service is far from an easy life – they have a stipend of about 600 shekels a month (about $160.00), and live communally in apartments under a service leader, working a regular work week. Whichever service they find themselves in, young folks in Israel work for about two years – not for themselves, but for their country.

We need to look to a similar program. 

“The draft” in the USA fell out of favor for a number of good reasons, chief among them that during wartime, when people were needed to serve in the front lines of battle, somehow those with the means were often granted deferments or safe service somewhere, while the poor went off to the hot bullet zones.

By the end of the Vietnam War, the draft was suspended, and although registration is still required, few have talked seriously about reinstituting it. But I think it may be time to do just that.  But no lottery: It would be for all. The Israeli model does something the draft in the U.S. never did — it makes serving your country universal for everyone.

The founders strongly advocated for civilian control of the military – and a civilian military.  And expected public service of some sort to be the order of the day, military or not.

Far-sighted: It’s a good deal more reasonable to expect that citizens will pay more attention to what their country is up to when they have literal skin in the game. Protecting “our way of life” becomes a different investment when you actually put yourself on the line.

Solving the country’s problems becomes a real experience when you are part of that solution. When that job is done by a professional few, the non-serving citizen is one major standard deviation from the source.

Fourth of July:The American Revolution lives ... and lives ... and lives | R. Bruce Anderson

Participation is the keystone of democracy; non-participation can translate into non-interest.  We don’t expect much from folks who are unengaged. But when you are the “boots on the ground,” you’re a lot more likely to want to know what being an American means, or can mean, or may become.

My career, for the past decade or so, has been in what’s called “experiential learning” – a fancy academia term for getting your hands dirty: getting down in the real world with real people doing real things and carrying out real tasks. The idea is that classroom teaching of theory is important – it cannot be dodged – but that putting these theories into practice is the real test of what works and what does not.

College students embrace the notion of internships. Not “shadowing.” Shadowing, as it is often practiced, is the awkward process of following someone else around while they do their job.  Internship, in its best forms, is actually doing.  Learning to be useful.

We do this for students interested in law, in the medical professions and broadly in a wide range of businesses: We teach entrepreneurship by creating entrepreneurs.

 Why can’t citizenship be taught the same way?

R. Bruce Anderson is the Dr. Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Endowed Chair in American History, Government, and Civics and Miller Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Florida Southern College. He is also a columnist for The Ledger and political consultant and on-air commentator for WLKF Radio in Lakeland.