Posted on Jan 17, 2014
Should the President and elected officals with the power to send our sons and daughters to war be required to have served in the military?
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I feel it should be law that all political office members from president on down should have to have served in the military before they can be voted into office. If these people are going to have the power to decide who and when we go to war they should know what it is like to lead in the military. Far too many of our leaders have never served, and neither have their children yet they vote to send ours to war. <div>I recall at the height of the war in 2006 when politicians were considering a draft or mandatory conscription service. However they were silent when asked if their own children would be subject to the requirements of such a requirement.</div><div>A doctor must go to med school before they can legally practice medicine so the president should have to be a veteran before they can be commander in chief.</div>
Congress
Warfare
Military service
Office of the President (POTUS)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 114
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I don't think it should be a requirement, but I do prefer candidates who have executive leadership experience. The military isn't the only venue that gives that. CEO of a business, mayor, governor, does. However, being in Congress DOESN'T.
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I don't think military service should be required. It never was in the Constitution. It is a discriminator I look for, but it doesn't necessarily mean the candidate is the best choice. Jimmy Carter was in the Navy. Still turned out to be a disappointment as president. John McCain was in the Navy, but I won't vote for him.
I DO think all candidates ought to undergo a thourough background investigation, at least as rigorous as a TS/SBI. Heck, I had to undergo a more detailed background investigation to become a 911 Operator than Obama had to submit to to become president. Something wrong there.
I DO think all candidates ought to undergo a thourough background investigation, at least as rigorous as a TS/SBI. Heck, I had to undergo a more detailed background investigation to become a 911 Operator than Obama had to submit to to become president. Something wrong there.
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To take it a step further would be what Robert Heinlein had suggested in his novel 'Starship Troopers', in order to be a full fledged citizen, one would have to have served their country. I'd take a WAG (not researching percent of who has served still living) that less than 5% of our population would be citizens then.
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SGT William B.
Interestingly though, Starship Troopers also made it a point to say that military service was not the only path to citizenship. The federal government in the book could *NOT* turn away anyone who wanted to serve, even if it meant that they sent a blind, deaf, and mute man to count the number of bumps on a caterpillar.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Well in the book, valid service was also being used as a human test subject.... ;o)
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SGT William B.
Ha, I forgot about that sir. Sounds like I may need to go back and give it another read; it's been a few years.
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