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Essay on the Rainy River: regarding to take part in a war to fight for your country

Imagine it is 1965 and you have just received your draft notice to serve in the war in Vietnam. What are you feeling? What is your family feeling? What are your options?

Introduction
- Where are you when you open the letter from the Draft Board of receiving a letter to take part in a war? What runs through your mind? How do you feel physically?
- Use descriptive details to show how you feel physically and psychologically?
- Consider your options. What choices are open to you?

Body paragraph #1
- Begin your paragraph with a topic sentence that states your first option.
- Jot down the advantages and disadvantages for some or all of the following: you, your future, your family, your community, your country.

Body paragraph #2
- Begin your paragraph with a topic sentence that states your first option.
- Jot down the advantages and disadvantages for some or all of the following: you, your future, your family, your community, your country.

Conclusion
- Sum up your two options.
- State your decision and explain why.
- Consider the implications for the rest of your life.

2 Answers

3 votes

Introduction:

As I open the letter from the Draft Board, my heart races, and my hands tremble. The letter informs me that I have been drafted to serve in the war in Vietnam. The reality of what this means begins to set in, and I feel a mix of fear, uncertainty, and anger. Physically, my body feels tense, and my stomach is in knots. The thought of going to war and risking my life is overwhelming. However, I know I have some options to consider.

Body paragraph #1:

One option I have is to refuse to serve and face the consequences. The advantages of this option are that I would not have to go to war and risk my life. I would also be taking a stand against a war that many people believe is unjust. However, the disadvantages are significant. Refusing to serve could result in imprisonment, fines, and a criminal record. It could also lead to being ostracized by my community and even my family.

Body paragraph #2:

Another option I have is to fulfill my duty and serve my country. The advantages of this option are that I would be fulfilling my obligation to my country and protecting the freedom and safety of my fellow citizens. I would also be able to earn respect from my community and my family. However, the disadvantages are significant as well. Serving in the war could result in injury, trauma, and even death. It could also impact my future opportunities, such as getting a job or going to college.

Conclusion:

After weighing my options, I have decided to fulfill my duty and serve my country. While the risks are high, I believe that it is important to protect the freedom and safety of my fellow citizens. I also want to earn the respect of my community and my family. While this decision will impact the rest of my life, I believe that it is the right thing to do. I will do my best to serve my country with honor and courage, and I hope that I will return home safely.

User Fyjham
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5 votes

Here is a possible essay based on the outline:

I was sitting in my dorm room, studying for my final exams, when I heard a knock on the door. It was the mailman, holding a thick envelope with my name on it. I opened it and saw the words that made my heart sink: "Greetings from the President of the United States. You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States." I felt a surge of panic and disbelief. How could this happen to me? I was a college student, a good citizen, a pacifist. I had no interest in fighting in a war that I did not understand or support. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run away.

I had two options: to go to war or to flee to Canada. Neither of them seemed appealing or honorable. I was torn between my sense of duty and my sense of morality. I did not know what to do.

One option was to obey the draft and report for duty. This would mean leaving behind my family, my friends, my education, and my dreams. It would mean risking my life in a foreign land, killing and being killed, witnessing horrors and atrocities. It would mean becoming part of a machine that I despised and feared. The advantages of this option were few: I would avoid legal consequences, I would fulfill my patriotic obligation, I would please some people who expected me to serve. The disadvantages were many: I would betray my conscience, I would lose my freedom, I would endanger my physical and mental health.

Another option was to resist the draft and escape to Canada. This would mean defying the law, the government, and the society that raised me. It would mean abandoning my country, my home, my identity. It would mean living as an exile, a fugitive, a traitor. The advantages of this option were also few: I would preserve my life, I would follow my principles, I would join others who shared my views. The disadvantages were also many: I would face prosecution, imprisonment, or deportation if caught, I would sever ties with my family and friends who might not understand or forgive me, I would lose my citizenship and rights.

After much deliberation and agony, I decided to flee to Canada. It was not an easy decision, nor a proud one. It was a decision that haunted me for the rest of my life. But it was a decision that I could live with. I could not bring myself to kill or be killed for a cause that I did not believe in. I could not sacrifice my soul for a flag that I did not respect. I could not betray myself for a country that did not care about me.

I packed a few belongings and drove north across the border. I left behind everything that I knew and loved. I entered a new world where I had to start over from scratch. I faced many challenges and hardships along the way. But I also found new friends and opportunities. I learned new things and grew as a person. I never forgot where I came from or what I did. But I also never regretted what I chose or who I became.

User Fantattitude
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