September 11 was definitely the start of a new phase in warfare in that no one will be safe any longer from the horrors of war. Government indviduals have continually warned us that the Al-Qaida terrorist group masterminded by Osama Bin Laden will strike again sometime in our country. Just like the Israelis, we will have to be wary of bombs going off in public places.

It is these times that I am glad that I live in a place like Minonk. Terrorists are unlikely to attack little known burgs in the middle of nowhere. They want maximum exposure in a highly populated area. I am not sure that the terrorists will be able to achieve such a high level of destruction as they did on September 11, but they will keep nipping at our heels.

While we are not officially at war with a country, we are in a warlike conflict with persons of different ideologies who want to eliminate us. Therefore, we do need to prepare for some kind of readiness to thwart and defeat our attackers. Resurrecting the draft is not a popular act. However, I think our country has to recognize that we are definitely in different times and that we need to mobilize ourselves in a new way.

Our country needs to adopt a program similiar to Israel where all young civilians must give two years of service to their country. This idea has been floating around Congress for some time now and I think it is something worth considering.

We need to develop new programs to fight terrorism. This could include increasing our security at airports and national landmarks. It may even require having military personnel on each airline flight. This could be provided through mandatory service for anyone 18 years of age or over. In addition to helping the nation combat terrorism, the program will also instill in our young people a sense of duty to their country and also a sense of worth. These values need to be taught to our young generation before they go off into the materialistic la la land of money-making.

Why not use the draftees to handle the security at our airports with enforcement backed by the government? This removes the profit motive from our airport security and replaces it with a military type of responsibility. Someone screws up - they get handled in a military court.

In addition, there are many social problems in our country as the result of poverty. Again, people drafted into service (men and women) could be used to help the poor in many ways. This could include helping to rebuild crime-infested and poor neighborhoods and helping to educate the poor and disadvantaged.

This type of service to the country would require a well thought out plan. Every attempt would have to be made to make sure that it would not evolve into a bureaucratic nightmare.

In the past, wars would arouse patriotic fervor and bring the nation together. Now we are engaged in an insidious drawn out war with an unseen enemy in a country that has lost its patriotism after the Vietnam War. Our nation is becoming more diverse in its ethnic and cultural makeup. A mandatory draft for everyone to serve our country in some manner will help dissolve the differences between us and give everyone a commond bond - that of service to and love of our country.

The heros of our current war are the firemen and policemen who died on September 11 trying to rescue their fellow citizens from the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. The heroes of the future will also include firemen and policemen. They will need the support of their fellow citizens who are drafted into service to help protect and serve our nation.

Our country is facing challenges from the terrorists on the outside and from social and economic problems within. We need to mobilize our country to face both challenges. A well planned mandatory service of our youth to our country could be the answer.