There are hardly any issues in American history, except perhaps those involving race, as contentious as the division amongst the public concerning the military draft. Let's get one thing out of the way. No rational being desires war. Only somebody whose heart has been hardened to the extreme gets their kicks out of a situation that causes killing, maiming, raping, famine, disease, etc. I would like to believe that 99% of us are rational beings. That stipulation notwithstanding, practically every nation or state is somehow drawn into a war at some point in its history. Depending upon how one defines war, America has been involved in three major bloodbaths ( 1861-1865; 1917-1918; and 1941-1945 ). The number of casualties in those wars per battle dwarf anything before or since. Nevertheless, Americans have been sufficiently averse to armed conflict for well over two centuries that some of the greatest political division ever endured in this country's history occurred during a smaller war or conflict ( of course, Vietnam ).  One of the divisions emanating from Vietnam was the unpopularity of the military draft during that period. Vietnam was a very different war than Americans of that era were used to or expecting. Vietnam was a television war. Vietnam was primarily a guerrilla war where the American soldier could not ascertain friend from foe. Vietnam was virtually declared lost on the television evening news. Vietnam was also an excellent picture of contemporary American society of the time. Vietnam was a war that truly showed class divisions in America. It was to divide those who became elitists from ordinary Americans. It left sensitive scars that are still tender today. The basic problem of Vietnam service was the problem of rich versus poor. The rich were epitomized by those who could afford an Ivy League education or an education at a place such as the University of Chicago or Cal-Berkeley. In other words, a rich boy had a far greater likelihood than a middle class or poor boy of obtaining a draft deferment. An elite education often was on a campus that expelled military recruiters or ROTC. The rich were almost all white boys. The poor during Vietnam were epitomized by boys, both black and white, whose parents couldn't afford them a higher education on hardly any campus and , consequently, were left wide open to be drafted into the military. The coarse treatment of returning Vietnam veterans by the elitists left a bitterness still felt decades later. All of this gave rise to the all-volunteer military. For the most part, the all-volunteer military has been quite successful. The rub lies when quagmires such as Vietnam then and Iraq and Afghanistan nowadays arise. The all-volunteer military, while comprising all strata of society, still are primarily comprised of those who had far fewer options out of high school. Consequently, those people suffer the lion's share of casualties. Say what you will, but a draft strictly adhered to with very few loopholes ( and those would be for the most solid reasons of conscientious objection ) is fair. Rich, poor, middle income, black, white, red, yellow, brown, male, female, etc., would be subject to the vagaries of the lottery. Only compulsory military service for everybody would be fairer. The draft would make military service more truly reflect the society it is suppose to be defending. If military service will not fairly reflect societal make-up as far as education and wealth in America are concerned, then perhaps we should not fight any more wars beyond our own shores. Every American would have something at stake here at home whereas it wouldn't be that way overseas. Freedom, of course, isn't free. As I heard a Marine drill sergeant comment once, liberty's currency is blood.