Mandatory Service

I do not believe that it should be mandatory for 18 year olds to serve in the Military or Peace Corps. I think that both the Military and the Peace Corps are groups that people should want to join, not be forced into. If all 18 year olds had to serve, these groups would be full of un happy teens, leaving out others who could actually provide a meaningful service. I believe that as soon as somebody becomes an adult, they should want to be involved in their community. Also serve their country in some way. Even if they do not agree with the current Government, they should still help out because they are a part of this country and together we can accomplish enormous goals. By forcing adults to serve two years, you would then interfere with the start of their life as an adult. Teens graduating from high school would have a busy schedule with going to college. Some might even have to put off their college career for those two years. It would be extremely difficult to serve in the Peace Corps or the Military while being a full time student. Also, if the student had plans of traveling right out of high school, they would not be able to do it! It would interfere with any plans that the student chose to pursue after high school. Also, many high school students turn 18 while they are still in school. This would mean that they would have to be a high school student while serving? I believe this would be difficult and might even get in the way of the students high school life. Forcing someone to perform a meaningful service is of no use. Whenever somebody does not want to do something, they will perform the duty half way and not really take it seriously. Volunteer groups and organizations that were established to benefit the community are not the right places to stick 18 year olds to teach them a lesson or moral charecter. These groups need people who are willing to perform the duties to the best of their ability.

VOTE!!

If my fried told me that he or she was not going to vote in the elections, I would not try to convince them to vote. I would simply fill them in on the pros and cons of not voting. In my opinion, voting is a right not a mandatory thing. Even though i would tell them it is their choice, i would also explain to them that if they do not vote, then they do not have a right to complain about anything that happens in the U.S. if they don't like something, then they are just going to have to sit back and do absolutely nothing. A person who votes is entitled to all the benefits of complaining and dissagreeing with what the president does, but if they did not vote then they have no right because they chose not to care. I would also tell my friend that voting is a privilidge, you get to choose someone who is going to make desicions for you. I would tell him that not voting would defeat the purpose of democracy in our nation. The political system gives power to the citizens to elect the best candidate to represent them. I would also tell my friend that voting is very important, even if he or she does not like the government, they still have to follow the laws, so they might as well do something good for themselves and vote for someone who could pottentially do something that benefits society.