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 The draft 
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Okay, I just have to say that I cannot believe that our society supported the idea that college kids escape the draft. If you disregard your personal feelings about the draft in general, it still seems unfair and wrong that male college students get a free pass while the working class gets sent off to war. The editorial cartoon referenced on page 75 seems to carry some validity. I am going to sound ignorant here but is it still the case that the draft does not apply to college students? Doesn’t this seem like a form of class discrimination?

This testing has continued to evolve, but it seems to serve as a class divider more so than anything else does.

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April Eichmiller


Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:15 am
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If I were a strong, courageous, valliant 18-year old male who felt it was my duty to protect my country and fight if needed, it would bust my bubble to know there was another group of 18-year old males somewhere in the US who were being "protected." I would feel as if I weren't as important ... that the "group" I belonged to were dispensable. Second-class, like those below deck on the Titanic.

There are many ways of looking at society - we can be humanitarian and focus on the individual or we can look at the bigger picture and focus on society as a whole. You will never hear me say one person or group is dispensable and we should rid of them (or allow them to be in harm's way) for the good of society ... I'm just looking at the draft through the lenses of national leaders. They didn't know we would win the war - they didn't know how much of our 18-24 year old male population would be destroyed - it could've been devestating. The government was attempting to ensure the US would have leaders after the war was over ... who would they choose? The ones who were in college, being groomed to be leaders anyway, war or no war. I'm not saying this was a good choice ... does anyone else have a better idea?

Since our last class, I have thought and thought about the New Oreleans issue and have had several conversations with other people about this. I do agree had a storm of that magnitude hit Connecticut or Massachusetts, action may have been different. It's something I don't want to admit, that our country doesn't want to admit. Does the United States really think there are dispensable populations? It's hard to swallow.

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Rena Powers


Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:29 pm
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Yes, it's a class divider ... that's apparent in hindsight. But think about what the US was like before people could go to college based on merit. Only those born into rich families had an opportunity for education. So, it's like a ladder:

Step One was only the rich go to college and have the opportunity for advancement.

Step Two is where we are now - people have opportunity based on their "intellectual merit" (which, we must admit, does include many more than Step One).

Now, it's our job to create Step Three, which should hopefully provide opportunity for even MORE people - the question is, how do we do it? How do we create true equality in America for education, opportunity, and advancement? Advancement may or may not mean money, but does mean a happier, more satisfying life where each person can live up to their full potential and feels valued and appreciated by their nation.

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Rena Powers


Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:38 pm
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But the problem I see is that people are not being admitted to college based on their intellectual ability; they receive an admission letter based on the fact that they have had an educational opportunity other children (belonging to the same society) did not. They have been groomed for college because they have had at least adequate schools, stable teachers, textbooks… These tests (the SAT in particular) work for students who have been trained for them. What about all the children who fall through the cracks?

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April Eichmiller


Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:23 pm
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