Worth your kid? - Letters

Washington Monthly, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Murray Polner

Last November, a New York Times poll found that Americans believed our latest war was "worth the cost" even if "several thousand American troops" were killed. Still, I wondered whether the pollsters should have asked if it would still be "worth the cost" if the respondent's own son or daughter was killed? Posed this way; I doubt the same 61 percent would have answered "yes."

Charles Moskos's (a "former draftee") and Paul Glastris's absurd article brought that dubious polling question to mind with their simplistic solution for our country's post-September 11 problems. Please allow this "former draftee" to propose that this magazine--which has long argued for the restoration of a draft--publish a follow-up article naming and celebrating the members of its staff as well as the children and grandchildren of its contributing editors and advisory board who have jumped the gun and enlisted.

MURRAY POLNER Great Neck, N.Y.