The first Nicholls speech forum of the fall semester was held Monday evening in the ballroom of the Bollinger Memorial Student Union. The topic for the forum was “Resolved, that the United States should reinstitute the military draft until the conclusion of the war in Iraq,” which resulted in 90 people being for the resolution and 185 against.
In opening statements for the pro side, John Kazusky, freshman from Houma, said the United States should reinstitute the draft, because the National Guard is needed inside the country, and he said the military is being stretched too thin and patriotism has decreased since the start of the war in Iraq.
“Our troops are like rubber bands,” Kazusky said. “They can only be stretched so far before they break.”
On the con side, Jerry McDonald, freshman from Gray, said the United States should not have a draft because President Bush sent the country to war for the wrong reason, the draft is a joke and the draft will teach kids how to hate.
“Bush wanted to finish the job his father started in Iraq,” McDonald said. “War only causes more war.”
Kazusky said a draft would help the country because if there were a draft, National Guard members would be able to stay inside the country.
“We are not receiving the help we need from our National Guard at home,” Kazusky said.
McDonald said the military should remain a voluntary force.
“We need voluntary forces,” McDonald said. “Pat Tillman left a 3.6 million dollar contract to fight in the war.”
Members of the audience were allowed the opportunity to voice their opinions.
“The Bush Administration wants to send these guys out and not give them what they need,” Bonnie Fortson, government senior from Thibodaux, said.
Marque Morton, a veteran who served a tour of duty in both Somalia and Afghanistan, said he opposes the Iraq war, but he believes the government should reinstitute the draft.
“There is no bigger of an opponent to the war than I am,” Morton said. “Bush’s war is a war of hatred. The only way this war is going to end is if there is a draft and your family, friends and neighbors are pulled out of their homes to go and fight in this war.”
Members of the audience gave the closing statements, highlighting the strong points of the discussion. For the pro side, Eric-Christian Thompson, freshman from Jefferson, said a draft is needed to support Iraq in its efforts to become a democracy.
“Right now, there is not a sustained democracy in the Middle East,” Thompson said.
On the con side, Forston said the draft would not work because more troops will not turn Iraq into a democracy.
“We are trying to democratize a country that cannot be democratized, ” Forston said.
