When New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel recently proposed the U.S. should reinstate a military draft, most Americans, especially young Americans, had a collective shiver.

But now that the US military is again engaged in a war as the muddled, unpopular stalemate in Iraq, the idea of a draft brings video reels of young and emboldened Vietnam protesters to mind.

Of course, we don’t support a draft, but we do support Rangel’s thoughtful proposition. It’s not that Rangel wants thousands of young people being snatched away from their lives to fight a war overseas, it’s a sort of accountability that Rangel, a Korean War veteran himself, wants to instill in Washington.

“In my own view, the war option would not be on the table if the people being placed in harm’s way were children of the White House officials, member of congress or CEO’s in board rooms,” said Rangel in a 2003 press release, when he originally posed the idea.

How true. For too long, Americans, particularly the youth, have sat idly back, believing lies about WMDs in Iraq and how a taxing death count was a necessity to protect the U.S. from a legitimate terror threat. Now we know better, but are still left with a giant mess-a-potamia.

With a draft — which will never stand a chance of passing — politicians would be held accountable for waging senseless wars, and be forced to convince the American people when wars were indeed necessary.

To take Rangel’s suggestion at face value is missing the point. His draft proposition should make us think about the level of accountability war-wagers should face.