Over 27,000 young people will graduate from high school as members of the class of 2023. The State Department says about 18,900 of the graduates are expected to enroll in college. What about the other 8,100?
Some of those 8,100 will be gainfully employed, but a large number of them will join the thousands of others from previous years who make up a large underemployed, generally undisciplined segment of the population with plenty of time, no jobs, no money, and few goals.
There is an old saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
What would happen if those who were not enrolled in college or vocational school or gainfully employed were required to serve in the military for 18 months or two years? Would it have an impact on crime and violence in local communities?
It’s not a crazy idea because many countries around the world do just that: youth (male and female) who are physically fit and idle are required to enroll in military service. Countries such as South Korea, Israel, Singapore, Norway, Greece, Turkey, and Switzerland have some form of brief national service for the idle young.
In the USA, we require males to sign up for the military at 18 years of age. There is a $250,000 fine, ban from federal employment, loss of eligibility for student loans, security clearances, and a possible five-year prison sentence waiting for those who don’t register by the time they are 26 years old.
However, military service itself is not required.
What if gang bangers were required to serve two years in the military under the strict discipline of drill sergeants? What if they were taught trades, personal management, and respect for authority during their two-year stay? What if wild, rich boys accustomed to immunity from the law and soft treatment had to endure the same regimen?
If they were members of the national guard helping in times of emergency or service groups like the Peace Corps, would they have a better sense of community when their term ends?
Probably so?
What if each state says your training for life doesn’t end with high school graduation? After graduation, you either choose your path in college or a trade, or the general public will choose a path for you and help you make up your mind.
There are obvious pros and cons to this idea. Among the pros of mandatory service for the idle are an increased sense of personal pride and discipline, the development of an employable skill, learning teamwork, respect for leadership, and law and order. After two years, many youth who leave the program will be better prepared for life and less prone to become social burdens or repeat offenders in the criminal justice system.
Another negative would be that mandatory service for the “young and idle” would delay the feeling of adulthood for another two years or so, and it would cost billions of dollars to implement. There would also be physical risks because some would not be a good fit for military-style training.
These two years of service wouldn’t involve full military training. The boot camp training would be present, but students would be trained to serve in times of national disaster and to assist in emergencies, not to fight, kill, drop bombs, or blow up things. It would be a modified version of the Job Corps program. Its training would include job readiness for high-paying technical fields rather than minimum-wage jobs that are disappearing.
There would be exemptions for medical conditions, whether physical or mental, and for those who are primary leaders of homes.
Generally, the program would be for the “able-bodied idle,” who aren’t doing anything and have no plans to do anything productive.
Without a doubt, military service for the idle will instill discipline and values that deter criminal behavior.
It will return to local communities young men and women who are more disciplined, employable, and have respect for law and order.
Who knows? Afterward, they may sign up for the military and continue to serve their country and enjoy the full benefits given to those who serve honorably in the military.
It’s just an idea.
Think about it.
