Oracle Online

Former students take a stand

Recently, retired Hamline University professor John J. Harrigan penned an op-ed that succinctly captured the angst and agony of military families (“Bring back the draft so more know the consequences of war,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 3, 2006). As former students of Harrigan’s and Hamline alums, we offer this nugget for the Hamline community’s reflection. What we propose will rankle many and please few. The idea is neither new nor original. However, we believe it needs thoughtful, democratic consideration among those it affects most -- young men and women.

Throughout the nation’s history, various forms of national service, mostly conscription, served to instill service, sacrifice and respect for the country. While we oppose a military draft as the sole means of national service, we do support mandatory national service for young men and women, whether or not in college. This service should allow few exemptions, draw upon past non-military examples, and offer rewards for both military and non-military service. We believe national service will instill empathy for the less fortunate, respect for the laborers and farmers whose toil and sweat provide goods for all, tactile experience with our foreign policy, many times with adverse consequences for millions around the world, whet our desire to change the human condition and curb our insatiable appetite for greed and wealth and, finally, instill humility and compassion.

We are hardly reactionary. While students at Hamline, we were leaders in Student Congress. In the early 80s, Congress tied federal financial aid to draft registration. We opposed that link as we were very concerned with those students who for reasons of conscience could not or would not register for the draft. We shuddered at the thought that certain male students would be denied aid simply because they failed to register for the draft. Therefore, we established the Linkage Scholarship Fund that granted financial aid to those students of conscience.

As for those currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq in the Armed Forces, we must come to grips with their sacrifices. The dangers they face are too far removed from a shared national sacrifice for the nation to realize that, for good or ill, they are fighting on our behalf. Unlike previous conflicts, however, as Professor Harrigan’s op-ed highlights, there is no rationing, the stock market rolls on, and we are more worried about the economy and our 401k performance than the loss of our young American soldiers’ lives. Maybe if everyone was expected to shoulder more sacrifice, allowing for differences in conscience, our government and our citizens would all better understand the nature of what we invest our national energies toward and whether those investments are worth the risk.

To our chagrin, draft registration is still linked to financial aid, countries still wage war, people still starve, farmers still go bankrupt and AIDS still claims far too many lives. However, young men and women are still the beacons of hope that perhaps one day wars are relics of the past, hunger and poverty significantly reduced, and vaccines manufactured against life’s most deadly diseases. But we are not there-yet. Our generation, and those that came before us, have clearly failed to fully achieve that more perfect Union toward which our Founders strove. The prospect of a generation who has experienced national service is an optimistic hope. Those who wield that experience can carry it into careers dedicated to the improvement of the human condition. Our greatest national hours have been ones of shared national sacrifice. Our hope is that your generation can light the way and succeed where others have failed. Someone needs to set us back on the right course. Will you be the next and better greatest generation?

While short on specifics and details, we plant this seed to germinate animated discussion. What should our civic obligation be to society, or should there even be a civic obligation? Do we merely thank those who honorably serve in the Armed Forces, the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps and then think nothing else of national service? If not, then why?
What better to begin the academic year than a healthy and lively debate on the merits of national service? In any event, we commend your attention to Professor Harrigan’s op-ed and encourage every Hamline student, professor, administrator, and alum to reflect upon the call to serve.

Timothy J. Houle ‘85
Christopher P. Hoven ‘85

Houle served as president and Hoven as vice president of the Hamline University Student Congress in the academic year 1984-1985.