I joined the United States
Marine Corps in 1971, a time when many of my peers were protesting the war in
Viet Nam and doing everything they could to avoid military service. There was
still mandatory conscription in those days. Consequently, dodging the draft
became an art form. A lot of young men simply burned their draft cards and
openly defied the Selective Service System, willing to risk a jail sentence
rather than serve in the military. Although I disagreed with their choice, at
least this groups was willing to take the consequences of their actions. Those
less principled of my peers snuck across the border to Canada where
Canadian officials conveniently looked the other way and eventually welcomed
American draft dodgers with open arms. I did not accept then nor do I accept
now those who chose this option. Many of my peers who opted for Canadian refuge
stayed there until Jimmy Carter pardoned them before leaving office as a
defeated and failed president, just one more of his ill-informed, misguided
decisions as chief executive………..How can I recommend that a young man put his
life in the hands of a president and a Congress that do not respect him or the
military? The answer to all of these questions is one I never thought I would
utter: I can’t.….Read more at
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