The Apathetic Generation :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Apathetic Generation The â€Å"Greatest Generation,† the generation of our grandparents, was the generation that beat the enemy down in the European and Pacific theater with pure determination and will. That generation showed past and future generations what it meant to be a strong, steadfast, and hardworking nation with determination. During this election, rumors of a draft, a draft to help fray some of the casualties that we have been encoring while fighting the War on Terror, have circulated. The re-staffing of draft boards and the introduction of a draft reinstatement bills by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) can be looked upon as a catalyst to these rumblings. Young adults across the nation have been in chat rooms talking about how this war is another Vietnam and how there is no way they will be drafted. This is such a touchy subject that President Bush said during the debate that the U.S. Armed Forces will stay an all-volunteer force. Our grandparents’ generation would never have said how they wouldn’t go to war if the government asked them. You may say that was a different time. But both WWII and this war began with attacks on our soil. If the draft is reinstated, would that be the worst thing to happen to this country? I admit it would be a devastating blow to us in regards to morale, but it would not be the worst thing to happen . Our generation is a generation of softies. We have no idea what it means to sacrifice things like metal, iron, pantyhose, and even butter for the greater good of a national cause. Our generation has a bigger fight than the â€Å"Greatest Generation.† We are fighting a war with an ideology, not a government. We are fighting a group of people who hate us because of our love for freedom. If a draft is part of the American fabric, we should be leery of it. But at the same time, if we don’t have the men to fight this war, we will lose our way of life, a way of life that may never be regained. This period of history is the most uncertain in modern times. We may disagree with the politics of the day, but if you take the politics away you still have a war that needs to be won. Won with the characteristics of the â€Å"Greatest Generation† that have been lost within the era of computers and self indulgence.