I am writing in response to Ryan Gerdes’ Jan. 23 letter, “Dear all, stand up for your beliefs.” I see that he wants all the politicians in Washington to leave their positions and physically go off to war.

Well then, who is left to lead? If everyone was out on the battlefield and no one in the national leadership positions, nothing would get accomplished at home or abroad.

Sure, you may be nervous about being called to serve your country (the country that has provided for you and granted your freedom), but I would think that one would unselfishly accept the challenge and do their best to preserve this nation and the ideal of freedom for our descendants to come, just as those who came before did for us.

I once saw a monument at the entrance of the Strategic Air Command museum in Nebraska with the following statement on it: “We must never forget that freedom is never really free. It is the most costly thing in the world. Freedom is never paid in a lump sum. Installments come due in every generation. All any of us can do is offer the generations that follow a chance for freedom.”

The option of peace is always a better route to take than the road to war, but we all need to realize that things don’t always work out that way. You can’t tell me that you don’t believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I know that I sure do.

If someone was running around wanting to take those rights away, would you stand up and defend your rights or would you just stand to the side and let them run all over you? When your country calls you to service would you go and defend the nation or would you run away to Canada?

If you dodge the draft, someone will have to go in your place.

How could you live knowing that someone else had to go and take your place in battle all because you weren’t willing to protect the nation?

I know that if and when a draft card comes with my name on it, I will drop what I am doing and defend this great nation that I love and was fortunate enough to be born and raised in.

Zachariah Varney

Sophomore

Electrical Engineering