Minnesota professor calls for a draft

MINNEAPOLIS -- With tours of duty for U.S. troops extended and casualties mounting, one University of Minnesota professor is looking for a solution to steady the societal burden of Iraq.\nHumphrey Institute associate professor Barbara Crosby wrote the column "Consider a truly universal draft" for the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune in January, rousing opinions from many supporters and some critics, she said.\nCrosby said she was prompted to write the column after learning that thousands of soldiers had their tours extended in the Middle East, including a friend's son. \n"Most of us don't have to bear an immediate burden in the current administration's decisions," she said.\nA universal draft for male and female adults ages 18 to 65, excluding parents of young children, could ease the burden for military families, Crosby said. \nIn addition, she said U.S. citizens would be more likely to question the validity of armed intervention if they were more personally involved. \n"Going to war would truly be a last resort," Crosby said.\nShe also proposed a two-year mandatory public-service requirement for 18-year-olds in an organization such as the Peace Corps as a way to foster intercontinental relationships while aiding the poorest countries in the world.\nDennis Donovan, national organizer for public achievement at the Humphrey Institute, said he agrees with a two-year service requirement because it will help shape more global citizens.\n"Young people need to have a sense of contributing to the world in a positive way," he said. \nDonovan said it's important for both young and old adults to work with people who are different from themselves.\nAlthough talks of a draft might polarize some, Donovan said the idea of creating a global citizen is a good one. \n"It changes a culture of 'me first,'" he said.\nMilitary service hits home for Humphrey Institute Senior Fellow Harry Boyte, who has two relatives serving in the armed forces. \nBoyte agrees many people have been spectators of the war, but he doesn't agree that a universal draft would be a solution. \nBoyte said debating the consequences of international conflict is worthwhile and creating more holistic citizens in every facet is critically important. \nWhile students attend Minnesota University, Boyte said they should also be taught how to be "citizen professionals" who think of their relation to the larger community. \n"Every institution has to take leadership on this issue," he said.\nCivil engineering sophomore Chris Redman said he has always thought about joining a military organization but doesn't agree that everyone should be required to do so. \nInstead, he said, studying abroad might foster international relations. \nStill, Crosby said she isn't asking for people to sign up for the military, but rather to think more critically about the hidden costs of war.