America has a lot of problems right now. We’re intensely divided. We don’t have a reliable, impartial media. There are people ashamed of who we are or our history.

But there’s a solution. America needs mandatory military service.

Israel has 2+ years of mandatory military service for every citizen, man or woman, and I think we need it, as well.

If everyone had to serve a year in the military, they’d learn the history of this country from the military perspective – an entirely new perspective for many, I’m sure. They’d learn the great price some have paid to serve and protect this country.

Everyone would also learn what it was our soldiers were fighting for. It too often falls on deaf ears when people speak of those who have fought and died to preserve our freedom. To some, they’re either not listening, or they’re unable to really put it in a perspective they can understand.

In much the same way it’s difficult to describe to someone the beauty and vastness of the Grand Canyon, it is hard to fathom the ultimate sacrifice millions have made for this country.

Serving in the military would also teach them a level of respect for others that I don’t think we all currently share.

In the military, everyone has a role, and you must be able to count on your team to execute. This requires putting aside small or petty differences and staying focused on the goals.

People who don’t have respect for the military, or even feel sorry for them, are people who think that only stupid hicks, poor people or those who had no other choice join the military. Speak to people in the military, and you’ll quickly understand that they serve as a feeling of duty and obligation to this country. With mandatory service, not everyone would come out feeling that way, but at least they might come to understand and respect those who do.

If everyone had to serve a year or two in our military, regardless of what they thought coming out, at least everyone would have that one intense, shared experience. Everyone in America would have at least that in common, even if their impression of it were totally different.

Conservatives truly love and respect our military because to serve in the military is to serve this country. It requires courage, honor and valor. It’s easy to point out the hypocrisy of some prominent Republicans on this. There certainly are some who’ve received various deferments to prevent them from serving.

To me, that is simply an admission and further explains the love of military. In some ways, they’re saying that they appreciate the honor and courage of those who serve because they, themselves, don’t have it.

If everyone had to serve a year in the armed forces, we might all gain some perspective on this great country. We’d also all have something in common to which we could all relate. And anything that could improve the national conversation is a good thing.

With mandatory service, a day like today… Memorial Day, would automatically carry the weight it deserves, and more people would appreciate it for what it is.