Were Draft Dodgers Cowards?

F

Forrest_Gump

Active member
The question is: Were the people who fled to Canada and other points to avoid service in the Vietnam War Cowards?

As far as I see it, this is one of those topics that people try to make more complex than it really is. Granted its a pretty personal decision, made at a time that at least to these folks was pretty intense, but where the rubber meets the road the choice's are actually pretty clear. Your decision is either based on fear: "I don't want to maybe die", or it's based on conviction: "I don't agree with what's going on, and I'm not going to take part in it".

My 2 cents:
I respect those that stood by their conviction, and paid the price (Mohammed Ali is an example). I don't agree with them, but I can respect them to a point.
Anyone who ran, as far as I'm concerned was a coward, and should have never been granted amnesty, nor let back into the country they abandonded the second it was going to cost them something. The only "conviction" this group stood for concerned the yellow stripe running down their backs.

Enough for now.
 
In my judgement the ones who ran were the more economically challenged cowards as the ones who were better off had positions in NG units that were sure not to be activated secured for them.
 
Forrest_Gump said:
The question is: Were the people who fled to Canada and other points to avoid service in the Vietnam War Cowards?

As far as I see it, this is one of those topics that people try to make more complex than it really is. Granted its a pretty personal decision, made at a time that at least to these folks was pretty intense, but where the rubber meets the road the choice's are actually pretty clear. Your decision is either based on fear: "I don't want to maybe die", or it's based on conviction: "I don't agree with what's going on, and I'm not going to take part in it".

My 2 cents:
I respect those that stood by their conviction, and paid the price (Mohammed Ali is an example). I don't agree with them, but I can respect them to a point.
Anyone who ran, as far as I'm concerned was a coward, and should have never been granted amnesty, nor let back into the country they abandonded the second it was going to cost them something. The only "conviction" this group stood for concerned the yellow stripe running down their backs.

Enough for now.
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I guess some had reasons like Parent pressure and some were mature enough to go with their own convictions. It's just a decision they'll have to live with. I would have gone if it was assigned to me because we were all in a line, if I didn't go, the guy behind me would have stepped into my place and I couldn't live with that. But, I am glad it had not fired up until I was out.
 
I dunno, alot of good people make bad choices. Like Missileer said, they now have to live with it. I doubt many go bragging about how they fled from the draft (for whatever reason).
 
Well as they don't want to support their country why not just disown them, remove their right to live in the US and also take away their passport.
 
LeEnfield said:
Well as they don't want to support their country why not just disown them, remove their right to live in the US and also take away their passport.
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I have to agree with stripping them of their American citizenship. They no longer have a right to claim themselves as American.
 
I definitely would've been one of the guys who ran on his convictions... But I'm sure there were a lot of cowards too. If there was a direct threat to America, then I'd go, but I wouldn't go to stop the spread of communism in some southeast asian hellhole... World War 2, Korea, sure... But not in a civil war where both sides are shooting at you.
 
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Forrest_Gump said:
The question is: Were the people who fled to Canada and other points to avoid service in the Vietnam War Cowards?
Enough for now.
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Well coward or not, its all about opinion. To some people they ar cowards, to some they ar just Pacifist. If anyone goin to argue, there will be no end to argument
 
LeEnfield said:
Well as they don't want to support their country why not just disown them, remove their right to live in the US and also take away their passport.
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Many many of the draft dodgers can not go back to the US because they still have outstanding warrants for their arrest
 
I reckon that it is far fetched to strip them of their nationality because they don't want to fight their government's war! Personally I think I would have gone, but I'll never know for sure. But the older I get them more I understand the nay-sayers.
It has to be pretty damn personal for me to step up and go to war! In a war of such dubious nature one should have to right to say "no". Or the government should have made it a volunteers-only war. But to draft people and not give them a choice in a war that is not really worth dying for..... hell, it a tough call. To most defensive wars I'd go, but this specific one.... I guess I'll never know and thank God I am not in the situation that I have to choose!
 
LeEnfield said:
Well as they don't want to support their country why not just disown them, remove their right to live in the US and also take away their passport.
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Because President Ford gave them all pardons when he took office.
 
Ted....They were drafted for WW1 & 2 and I don't think many men refused to go or tried to dodge the call up. Then there was Korea before Vietnam and those that were called went. So why is it now that some people feel that they are to valuable to put their life in harms way for their Country, they are happy enough to enjoy the liberties that the other men died protecting, so just why should they enjoy what there country has to offer while refusing to fight for it.
 
LeEnfield said:
Ted....They were drafted for WW1 & 2 and I don't think many men refused to go or tried to dodge the call up. Then there was Korea before Vietnam and those that were called went. So why is it now that some people feel that they are to valuable to put their life in harms way for their Country, they are happy enough to enjoy the liberties that the other men died protecting, so just why should they enjoy what there country has to offer while refusing to fight for it.
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Well said!!!

Whispering Death said:
Because President Ford gave them all pardons when he took office.
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The President at the time did that true. But all those that refused to come back, what about them? Why should they be allowed to retain American citizenship and rights? Granted in about another 20 or so years it will become a moot point because mot will have passed.

The warrant for the arrests are still there true. How many 45+ year old people do you see getting put in jail and serving a sentence because of dodging the draft 25+ years ago?


Edit: corrected "He" with "The President at the time"
 
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Whispering Death said:
Because President Ford gave them all pardons when he took office.
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Well I think it was Carter not Ford. Ford pardoned Nixon.

Draft dodger

Draft dodger is a term that became current during the Vietnam War to describe American citizens who were in threat of being drafted and who fled abroad, usually to Canada, to avoid it. The term is also sometimes also applied to the much larger group who illegally avoided the draft but remained in the United States.
Their actions were criminal offences and once they had left the country draft dodgers could not return or they would be arrested. This changed in 1977 when President Jimmy Carter issued an amnesty (in the form of a pardon) to all the draft dodgers.
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All I can say about these guys is that I don't think it was quite fair that we had to take their places.
 
The one thing I don't understand is why they went to Canada instead of France. If you went there, you'd never have to fight (unless some angry North Africans firebomb your car).
 
Conscientious objector status was given to many and they served in conditions where they weren't as liable to take a life. That has been a policy in all wars as far as I know.
 
Many many of the draft dodgers can not go back to the US because they still have outstanding warrants for their arrest
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I think president carter granted amnesty to them all.
 
You're right DTop... hehehe you can tell the public education system has taught us youngin's well! :p

So this is just one more thing we can blame on Carter.
 
I just like to point out that not all draft dodgers fled to Canada. Some fled to college or graduate school, some got into the National Guard, some even got married to avoid the draft. Canada was merely one of about a dozen methods.

I do agree with DTOP because the result for all those who ran or got (or bought) deferments was have somebody else take in their place.
 
Cowards Cowards Cowards Cowards

Forrest_Gump said:
I respect those that stood by their conviction, and paid the price (Mohammed Ali is an example). I don't agree with them, but I can respect them to a point.

Anyone who ran, as far as I'm concerned was a coward, and should have never been granted amnesty, nor let back into the country they abandoned the second it was going to cost them something. The only "conviction" this group stood for concerned the yellow stripe running down their backs.
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The portion included in the quote clearly denotes my very personal opinion.

Almost all of the people who fled to Canada are ABSOLUTE YELLOW STRIPE COWARDS.

There are d*mn few exceptions.
 
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