For example:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;鈥?/a>
This comment by "Wannabe Soldier" Bo Jangles
"I think you are simplistic. As well as soft and lazy. And sadly that is a result of the easy life you live in this country brought about by...you guessed it..those who willingly choose to serve and those who are called to serve and do so because the country calls for their services."
He later adds:
"And dodgers ARE COWARDS. They are more than willing to let you, your dad, me, your brother, etc, etc, go and fight in their stead to save their own hides...and that defines a coward no matter how you look at it."
This is just one example.
There is a big irony here:All the people that criticize Draft Dodgers and call them cowardly HAVE NEVER BEEN TO WAR ZONE LET ALONE FOUGHT IN THE BATTLEFIELD!
From my chats WITH REAL WAR VETERANS, I have yet to see one actually criticze Draft Dodgers as "Cowardly" and "Unpatriotic" and "*******".
This threads portrays great examples of comments by real War Veterans about "Draft Dodgers" and their feelings towards them.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/sh鈥?/a>
Specifically these comments:
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/sh鈥?/a>
"The "burning of draft cards" was a 1960's thingie due to media coverage (TV primarily). During WW I, no TV, but there sure were many that did protest for whatever their reasons were.
Also many did volunteer for WW I and WW II, Korea, Vietnam and yes today for whatever their personal reasons! Many were/are also "thankful" they receive exemptions from serving as well as "dodgers". Going to war is HELL! Why does any sane individual want to go to a place and get shot and/or blown to chit - go figure! Some to prove themselves, some for their own personal beliefs and/or the "thrill" of it all - go figure! If you think it's "cowardly" to not go fight in a war, than you are lacking brain cells!
A mystery for the ages! If you put some thought into it you will arrive with your own unique opinion and or reasons why - no better or less than my opinion."-Ken
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/sh鈥?/a>
"SSG, Uncle Ken is trying to tell you that a real war is not a video game, and that, perhaps, you should put one under your own belt before firing off grandiose judgments. Or, in the alternative, avoid such blanket judgments in the first place. You sound like the 16 year old I once was, passing judgment on my mother's boyfriend, a WWII bomber tail gunner, because he told me that his plan if he was ever shot down behind German lines was to surrender to the first Germans he came across. I was under the opinion that any surviving air crewman who didn't fight his way out of Germany with a single .45 and a few magazines of ammo, was ispo facto a coward. Yes, what goes around..."-Lirelou
Ken and Lirelou are Battlehardened Vets who spent several years in Vietnam,with Ken being infantry and Lirelou serving as SF.Of all the people around, they(as well as War Vets in General) are the KINDS WHO ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE THE SAY whether someone is a coward or not in War and Military Service.
Yet they are,as well as every Vet I chatted with, are the first ONES WHO WOULD NEVER CALL A DRAFT DODGER A COWARD AND A PUSSY.In fact every veteran I chatted with(including Ken and Lirelou) all calls anyone who criticizes others for avoiding the draft as "Cowards" and "*******" as insane for advocating war!
Very interesting to add is the War Vets like Ken and Lirelou(see their posts) were often the kind who VOLUNTEERED the moment men were being drafted or at least served their duty!Yet they are the last kinds who would ever criticize someone for avoiding the draft as opposed to many of the wannabe conservitives,Pro-Military,and Soldiers such as Yahoo Answers user Bo Jangles!
What do you think?Anyone here notice that True War Veterans would never call Draft Dodgers Cowards nor criticize them?
Actually there is a long and very strong tradition in the United States of REAL pacifists who do not believe in killing their fellow human beings for ANY reason. In the wars before the Civil War they did not have to serve because only volunteers fought those wars. The drafts during the Civil War, WW I, WW II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War all made provisions for pacifists to serve in non-combat duties. My grandfather was a conscientious objector during WW I. He served in the US Army as a cook, in France.
The vast majority of the draft-dodgers during the Vietnam War were not so much cowards, as they were self-centered spoiled brats. They thought that whatever they were doing (mostly attending the big party known as the Youth Culture or the counterculture getting high, attending demonstrations, and trying to pick up chicks for a little "free love" after the riot was over) was more important than giving their country a couple of years of service. The same goes for the current Conservatives (like Dick Cheney) who dodged the draft to pursue his own interests instead of giving a little time to his country. There is a reservoir of anger by vets for these guys actions during the war.
Than we have the traitors in the antiwar leadership (Jane Fonda are you listening?). These people organized their demonstrations for "peace," and most of the kids in the counterculture who supported them thought that is what they were demonstrating for. But they didn't want "peace..." they wanted a Communist victory. When Nixon did not cut and run, causing high American casualties in the scramble to get out of Vietnam in the process, but armed the South Vietnamese and pushed for "peace with honor" the leadership of the antiwar movement went ape-sh*t with hate. They were getting what they claimed they wanted, American troops were being withdrawn, but that isn't what they really wanted. Jane Fonda and her ilk I still feel real resentment against.Anyone here notice that True War Veterans would never call Draft Dodgers Cowards nor criticize them?
If anyone here is interested, some more links of True Vets thoughts on War and Draft Dodging.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com鈥?/a>
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Anyone here notice that True War Veterans would never call Draft Dodgers Cowards nor criticize them?There is no shortage of judgmental people in the ranks of social conservatives. But there is no shortage of them on the other side, either - coming back from war only to be called a baby killer is not my definition of accepting, pacifistic, or even particularly progressive.
I do not know about Ken and his ilk, but my husband, a volunteer soldier in Vietnam, never held any grudge against Jane Fonda or any of the persons who burned their draft cards. He did not want to deal with these guys in the military.
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