I agree, Dave. You can Scalia-nize young people by taking them hunting, to the skeet field, to dog trials, a firearms auction, a sporting clays shoot, a hunter safety course or NRA day at a range or shooting club. Firearms familiarization can also be had courtesy of our military services. Loss of the draft is not necessarily something to cheer about in the larger view of our society. Statement on TV yesterday evening that ". . . our arms forces are broken. Every 18 minutes, there is an attempted suicide in the ranks." Wonder why after nearly two decades of the "stop loss" policy? I was never a big fan of weekend warriors who, in the VietNam era, went home after basic while the draftees got a few more training cycles and a free trip abroad, but the Iraqi and Afghan altercations have demanded more of our reserve forces than any dustup since the Korea War. Time for more of our young people to serve with em rather than just thank em. I personally favor universal military conscription. By providing our young with a common experience, military service would "homogenize" them before they hardened in the mold of believing that the fighting should be done by one class, group, race, or economic ranking and the thinking by another. A common experience (Yes, I know a common experience doesn't lead everyone to the same views!) gives people a chance to understand other people and often the proximity and consequent inclination to be civil and sympathetic even if they don't.
jack
