The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 2 of 8)

p>And, finally, aside from the practicality of forming a separate corps of the foreign-born, I noted a very strong tendency in your piece to regard these men as cannon-fodder, suitable for filling body bags that would otherwise be occupied by real Americans. I think this is an unworthy -- and in fact shameful -- attitude. I hope that I have completely misunderstood you on this point. br> -- Jack Gold br> Anchorage, AK /p>

Of all the proposals that I have heard to improve American military preparedness, your suggestion of an American foreign legion has to be the most reprehensible by far. What makes your proposal so repulsive is the implicit suggestion that our government sanction, in its name, violent military action that would be carried out, for the most part, by the "flotsam and jetsam of the world" and not our own citizens. Your main justification for this idea appears to be that our young men may be increasingly unwilling to tear themselves away from their beer to go off and fight against the harbingers of some possible potential threat in some remote corner of the world. News Flash, they should be!!!

p>When our own citizens are unwilling to do their own fighting we should not ask others to do it for us. In such a situation the issue is obviously not of value to us as a nation. If our political leaders are unable to make the case for citizen involvement in a military venture the venture should not be made. Consider citizen support as a type of civic check on the promiscuous use of military power. Winston Churchill once said, "The statesman who yields to the war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy." The last thing this country needs to do is remove a barrier, or increase the temptation, for our statesmen to yield to the war fever. br> -- Captain T. Leggett , USMC br> Defense Counsel br> Depot Law Center br> Marine Corps Recruit Depot

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