Read this for one personal reason why the draft is bad.

But Rangel's core argument seems to be by placing people into the military who aren't volunteering for the military, we'll cause politicians and the Bush administration to rethink their position on using force in Iraq. But this misses the core idea about what a military is used for, and that's to protect our interests either through real or imagined use of force. Whether people are in the military through volunteering or through the draft, the military is still used to fight for our country. It's immaterial how people got into the military, if we believe that this country is good and is worthy of defense, we would still send young men and women into the valley of death to protect it.

We do not "need to return to the tradition of the citizen soldier" as Rangel puts it. There is no tradition of the citizen soldier, or at least their hasn't been since the Revolution. Soldiers are professionals trained to protect American interests both domestically and abroad. All soldiers are citizens. There is no rational reason to return to the draft, unless you're willing to try anything to further your political agenda. . .and this isn't the place for that.

MORE INFO: Information on a common myth concerning minorites, especially African-Americans, taking it on the chin when it comes to combat casualties in war-time.