DEAR News Of The Area,

TWO recent letters praised National Service as salvation for wayward youth.

Straighten up, quick march, grab a gun and all is well.

Not a thought that whinging about young people is generational and probably goes back beyond the pyramids.

Military proponents might care to read the many inquiries conducted into our armed forces. Bastardisation and bullying figure prominently.

Sending youth into armed combat in faraway wars as flunkies to great and powerful friends is sycophantic behaviour and must be challenged.

Death and injury are tragic results.

Throw in ongoing mental health problems and National Service is a militarist’s dead end.

For those who care to read and analyse our military record, only WW2 had any relevance to Australia.

All other conflicts were sycophantic grovelling.

It ranged from the Boer scenario to WW1, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the 1960s, aware young people rebelled against war and National Service.

I don’t believe the current teen generation is any different.

Good on them.

Regards,
Warren TINDALL,
Bellingen.