Now that the first 100 days of the Obama presidency have passed, what should we as a nation pressure the president to concentrate on for the rest of the presidency? What issues are most pressing to the nation? What long term goals need to be addressed early on in the presidency to allow those goals to ultimately be fulfilled?

The most important measure he must address first is to, in regards to the economy, not continue bailouts, but instead have them in strategically placed spots in order to bring the most of the taxpayers’ dollars into the economy to bring about the best benefits.

Second is the two wars that we are fighting, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The question behind this is whether to increase funding but not necessarily decrease troops. These two wars do not call for less troops, but more and in order for that to happen we might even need to legislate a draft.

A draft would help alleviate some of the unemployed, and take the burden off of the economy. However, the legislation would need to be revised in order to allow students currently in college to finish their degrees rather than just seniors being allowed to do so.
Obama needs to reinstate the deferment, or perhaps have the drafting age at 22 when students will have at least finished their undergraduate degree.

However, the eligible age should still be at 18 for those students who once they finish high school would like to serve their country.

It is a fact that the volunteer army is stretched and reinstating the draft would also take strain off of the current all-volunteer army. I am not advocating that the draftees be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, but be used to fill up the positions of those volunteers who are sent overseas.

The National Guard, which is supposed to be protecting our borders, is dispatched overseas, and some manpower must take over in its absence. This is where the draft would come in.

It would also make the young generation learn to respect their elders, a value that seems to be lost in the current American culture. Further, the draft would help alleviate the obesity issue. People who are drafted would be forced to become fit and that habit learned over a period of two years will last a lifetime.

Instituting the draft, despite the public’s negativity, can bring about unexpected contributions to help improve the two issues that plague the nation today: economic reform and health care.