So now that I’ve established the negative impact of the DACA elimination, as well as the societal and economic benefits of the DREAM Act, there isn’t much else right? Wrong. The DREAM Act benefits are plentiful.
Unexpectedly, the DREAM Act will benefit the military. The benefits of the DREAM Act for the military will be quickly realized and plentiful.
The DREAM Act gives eligible young people a form of amnesty- under a few specific conditions. One of those conditions is that beneficiaries either continue their education at a college or university, or they enlist in the military. The latter has potential to benefit the military in numerous ways:
- The DREAM Act will encourage enlistment. For those beneficiaries who do not wish to continue their education, the military will be their only option to maintain their amnesty- because of this, many Dreamers will make the decision to enlist.
- The DREAM Act expands the recruiting pool. While some Dreamers will make the decision to enlist on their own, some others may need some convincing. If they finish high school and college and are unsure of where to go from their, recruiters will be able to offer guidance, which will help the individual and the military itself.
- The DREAM Act beneficiaries will enhance the military. While all recruits are appreciated, foreign-born recruits are ideal military recruits because of their foreign language skills and their foreign culture awareness. Not only this, but foreign-born recruits have lower rates of attrition.
- The DREAM Act will increase the military’s diversity. With the influx of foreign-born recruits, the diversity in the military would sky-rocket. And with this diversity, unique ways of thinking, different abilities, and varied knowledge sets would be added to the military.
For the U.S. Military, the DREAM Act is a step in the right direction- the Department of Defense supports it fully. Margaret Stock, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army also supports the DREAM Act: “It would be tremendously beneficial to the military. It gives the opportunity to enlist hundreds of thousands of high-quality people.”
So, if the moral goodness of the DREAM Act isn’t enough to convince you of its worthiness- what about this? What about the fact that the DREAM Act will not only benefit ambitious young adults, but also the economy, American society, and the U.S. military? Undeniably so, the DREAM Act is a great option for America.
Donald Trump may not agree, but facts speak louder than opinions. Once again, I call to you, the young people of America, to help our fellow youth- to help our nation. The DREAM Act is not merely a question of morals, it is a question of logic. So for whatever reason- economic, moral, societal, or the military- support the DREAM Act because its the logical thing to do.