John Proctor

This country was conceived from the notion that every single human deserves life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; mandatory national service would be the death of something our ancestors died for: the right to choose one's own path. Senator John Kerry pushes for "all high schools to incorporate service requirements for graduation" and "hopes his proposal will inspire more Americans to be engaged in national service…" (Pindell). If all high schools required students to go through the service in order to graduate, then only the obvious can ensue: the depletion of graduates in the United States. Even if all high school students went into service in order to graduate, the service is an honor only to be taken by those who choose to bestow it; the lack of motivation would make national service a burden rather than an honor. National service should not be mandatory; it should be "a matter of morality and that is the province of the family, not the schools" (Richman). Involvement in this countries national service is a responsibility taken by only the noblest of men. This involvement