Letter: Military can help turn lives around

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

Regarding an editorial in Saturday's Las Vegas Sun, "Army asking for problems," which was subtitled "Desperate to achieve stepped-up recruitment goals, it is lowering its standards":

I would like to offer a different perspective. When I was a young man, I was headed down the wrong path, and I could easily have ended up being a burden on society.

A wise person suggested that I join the military. I followed the suggestion, and the training, discipline and added responsibility I received turned my life around.

I am not in favor of lowering physical and intellectual standards but I am in favor of lowering moral standards. The military is exactly what many young people today need to set them on a path to becoming productive citizens.

I would take it a step further and consider reaching inside the nation's overflowing prisons. I would consider offering selected nonviolent offenders an opportunity to receive an early release and be paroled to the military.

If they mess up, it would be back to prison to complete their sentence. If they do a good job, the slate would be wiped clean. I think this is a better alternative than releasing inmates back into society where the rate of recidivism is high.

Roger Witcher, Las Vegas