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Politics : Discuss the candidates honestly. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Andrew N. Cothran who wrote (3976)	8/15/2004 12:30:27 PM
From: Richnorth	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 4965

I don't know how old you were at the time of Vietnam War (1963-1974) and whether you requested for any deferment yourself. In those days, as I recall, lots of young Americans did their best to avoid the draft by any means possible. Even Muhammad Ali, former World Boxing Champion, a really tough and macho guy, avoided the draft by citing he was a conscientious war objector and choosing to serve a jail term. While some Americans sought refuge across the border into Canada (to Paradise Valley, near Winlaw, Alberta, Canada, for example), others sought any number of excuses and subterfuges to avoid going to Vietnam. To be sure, a lot of Americans enlisted for graduate studies in universities or joined the Peace Corps. In fact, the Peace Corps, initiated by John Kennedy and headed by a relative of his, one Shriver, was dubbed "A Haven for Draft Dodgers". By the way I am personally acquainted with some of these draft dodgers. Kerry's request for deferment, if true, does not surprise me, given the fact there were outpourings of protests against the war which, on closer scrutiny, was found to have been embarked upon a false pretense (The Gulf of Tonkin Incident) and the false premise that, if Vietnam fell into the Communist orbit, so would the rest of the South-East Asian countries fall, one by one, like dominoes. Also, many parents did their very best to restrain their boys from enlistment and avoid the prospect of coming home in body bags. I am happy to know that John Kerry did not seek an easy way out by joining the Peace Corps. Evidently he was made of sterner stuff! As I understand it, while he was serving aboard a ship relatively far from the scene of fighting and certain death by "two-step" poisonous snakes and "punji" sticks, John Kerry bravely asked to be assigned to the "frontline" or the murderous river enclaves in Vietnam. No matter what his detractors have to say (mind you, all great men have detractors), imho, the very fact that John Kerry put his life on the line, attests greatly to his bravery and patriotism. No one is perfect. It is interesting, even laughable at times, that his detractors should insist on holding him to such high standards that they apparently do not have themselves. They certainly have nefarious motives. IMHO, the smear campaign of the Smear Vets is a red-herring crafted to distract Americans from far weightier and fundamental issues involved in this election. Let him/her that hath no sin cast the first stone.