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"I WISH I COULD HAVE GONE TO VIETNAM." Mitt Romney

9/23/2012

 
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MITT ROMNEY (rt) AND FRIENDS, STANFORD UNIV, 1965
 “I wish I could have gone to Vietnam.”
    George Washington established a powerful link between soldering and the American Presidency, and many presidents since have served in the military. Some were good presidents, others not, because running an army is not like running a country. And yet, it is mind-boggling that draft-evader, Mitt Romney, son of a governor, with more than six years of repeated draft deferments, and who never served a day, can say, “I wished I could have gone to Vietnam.”  
    “Oh, really?”
    In the 1940s, every male had to register for the draft, and if you were classified 1A, at age 18 most were called up. It was a time when citizen-soldiers were ardently supported. A hitch hiker in uniform never had to wait more than minutes for a ride.
    Soldiers drafted in the mid-1960s were not as fortunate. They were also likely to go to Vietnam, a war that divided the country. 
Students were sitting on floors in the offices of their deans, and the draft was drawing public protests. But not by Mitt Romney at Stanford in 1965, comfy with the first of several educational deferments, laughing broadly while picketing in his white slacks and dark sport jacket, one hand in a pocket, the other holding a sign: "Speak out. Don't sit in."   Those around him, some having biked over for the photo shoot, are laughing too, all with the relaxed demeanor of young preppies taking a break.
    Today, no one is drafted and our professional military is widely admired. But there's also plenty of claptrap political lip service, including by presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, who dares to say, “I wish I could have gone to Vietnam.”

     Ann should wash out his mouth with soap.
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                        (TO SEE "MITT ROMNEY RAP," CLICK HERE)

Martha
9/24/2012 12:33:22 pm

Two things that make for an anti-war movement: broadcasting the war on television (body bags off the plane every night) and a draft. We have neither.

CH
9/25/2012 08:30:02 pm

But every 18-year-old male still has to register for a draft. I remember the day M. got the notice in the mail... even without a draft it's heart-chilling.

search here link
6/30/2013 08:21:45 pm

I completely agree with you on one statement in this. Running an army is definitely not like running a country. This is in fact evident from the current state of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf, who was the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan failed terribly as the President.


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    Author (Yuma, AZ, 1944)

    Being 90 years in this world,  with great kids,  great grandkids, great wives (two, one at a time) and great memories, I wonder why some people seem to have stopped loving the U.S.A.? I will wonder in print right here. If you wonder too, or can provide some answers, please comment.
                                   Stuart Hodes

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           With my friend, Nero.
                   April, 2012.
        Photo by Ray Madrigal

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