I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

I have to laugh about somebody wondering (it was back a bit not sure who it was now) if Willard's religion worried anyone here.  I have heard of the White Horse Prophesy but don't know if it's true. Anyway I don't find Romney's religion anymore worrisome than any others. But I have cousins in the South that I just bet it's driving nuts. They're Republican I'm a liberal Democrat. Usually we might spar a bit, just a little - really you're voting for that guy?! - kind of thing, just a friendly thing, no political emails flying back and forth. Well this year nada. They are also very religious and I know that they grew up being told that the Mormons are a cult. I bet their heads are spinning this year. I don't know if they'll be able to vote the Presidential line. I'm not gonna ask either, just gonna let them stew in their own juices and make the choice.

That was what I heard as well. 

A number of young men that I knew in the Vietnam era had deferments.  Some were for conscientious (sp?) objection, some were college, some marriage.  Of course, none of the young men I knew at the time had any political aspirations, but everyone does need to remember that it was a different time.  I (personally) don't like the idea that our Commander-in-Chief dodged the draft (and I'm one of these crazy people that would like to see the draft re-instituted) - but most of us who are posting here, are probably of an age to also remember the Vietnam War era.  People were treated VERY badly for going to the war - even when drafted.  It's not surprising to me that Romney would have used whatever was available to him to avoid going.  Even though I don't want him to be elected, I really cannot overly fault him for avoiding the draft if possible. 

That said, I can (and do) fault him for talking in a hawk-like manner about starting wars and sending others to their deaths when he used any means available to him to avoid going himself.

Enjoyful -  "serve in different ways" is equating in my book.  My brother-in-law was a CO in 1967.   He did not believe in killing and was given that status.  He couldn't just go off to France and recruit more Buddhists...he still had to serve in the military, though in something that was non-violent.  I think, sometimes, this was even working in a medical unit, in Vietnam.

GG - The draft went away in 1970.  There was no draft, or when, when Obama came of age...maybe you were talking about Clinton, or a hypothetical, when you mentioned the CIC?

I may be as wet as a person can be but I thought I read somewhere that Pres. Obama was too young for the draft.  Just off the top of my head....doesn't seem like that would be the case.  I'll have to go start looking again.    I think I am the one who raised the question about being concerned about the religious issues and Romney.  I, in fact, did not think all that much until I read Lassie's link which seemed to me to indicate that since the Church's founding in general it has been the ideal to get a Mormon President.  Somehow...I didn't realize how "old" the idea  was and that put a different feeling to it for me.

Jackie

They have missions everywhere, including my small little mountain town.  Believe me, walking door to door, in clean clothes, in a scenic recreational town in USA is hardly equatable to being in Vietnam in 1967.  This is not about serving the USA, anyway.  This is about serving SLC.

Actually the draft didn't go away until 1973 (although the last draftee was in December of 1972). What did happen is that the draft went to a lottery system circa 1970 until the end of the draft.  Obama would have still been too young. My DH turned eighteen at just the right time.

Actually, he wasn't 10. He was declared "medically 8."

Kam, I agree the lottery did change it. For us personally it meant I no longer was thinking of getting pregnant before I was ready. But for those with low numbers it was still bad.

Kam - I was talking about Romney possibly being CIC.

He was obviously a) Kenyan; b) Muslim; and c) part of the vast liberal conspiracy to put a Kenyan Muslim commie Pinko in the white house.

ROFL, new Obama meme: Romnesia, a condition whereby one forgets what one said previously. But never fear Obamacare covers preexisting conditions!

I didn't read the Other thread, but perhaps they think that Obama should have enrolled in the military when he came of age? A false equivalency, really.



Romney was of age during a war and protested IN FAVOR of that war, then used every deferment or exception possible to avoid service in that war. Obama's situation was completely different - no war, no draft, no pro-war stance.