Personally, do you think that people rightfully got punished when...?

they dodged the draft or protested the draft during the Vietnam war?
That is, when people got back from Canada after the war ended, do you think it was right for the government to jail people because they dodged the draft by fleeing to Canada? Also, do you think a $10,000 fine was deserved for people burning draft cards? Why or why not?
Additional Details
I agree that they KNEW they were breaking the law, and they KNEW the consequences and they still did it. Personally, I don't think that's being a responsible American.

Songbyrd JPA âœ¡ Jewish Lawyer

No. It was an unjust war. We, males only, of burning it? Nothing. They still had you. Why the fine? To tell young American males they were not free. They were the property of the United States Government. Sorry, we were the property of the United State Government. I got as far as the pre-induction physical, got my 1-A status and waited to see what happened next. I was in the first draft lottery. I, as it turned out was lucky. I got number 315. They stopped at 290. Would I have gone in to the forced service? No. I was not sure if I would have gone to jail or to Canada. I did have a job lined up there.
It was an unjust war. I lost friends who never got home again. I lost some who did, but were never the same again.
No, they did not get rightfully punished.

kitty_katari

As much as I understand why these people did what they did, they broke the law and they knew they were doing it. They made a choice.

Well whether you like it or not that was the law and and those people broke it. Not punishing them would be like saying you can break any law and not be punished for it.

laughter_every_day

Nixon pardoned everyone. None of those who sat out the war were prosecuted. There were a few dozen prosecutions for burning draft cards. Most got a nominal fine.

SaturnsRings

No. I do not think it is fair to punish these individuals. While I have a great deal of respect for those who voluntarily enter the military to serve their country, I do not think it should be forced upon anyone.

Additionally, the draft disproportionately affects people who are minorities and of low socioeconomic status because they do not have the money or political connections to buy their way out of the draft (as many of our leaders have done in the past).

Personally, I think it was very brave of people such as Muhammad Ali to refuse to join the military drafts. The US military was incredibly cruel towards Blacks during the draft (just as the rest of the country was during that time). Despite serving their country with pride, Black soldiers (such as my father) were repeatedly discriminated against by their peers. Segregation and discrimination were just as rampant. Blacks were expected to go thousands of miles away to fight for the rights of people in a country they had never heard of, even though they couldn't even ride the bus or drink out of a water fountain in their own country without being beaten, arrested, and called *******.

.

Not Rep or Dem!!

sure, there was a law and people disobeyed it on purpose. There must be a punishment for that. What if nobody joined the army in WWII? We would be speaking German right now. Sometimes you have to take responsibility and either follow the law or break it. But own up to it.

China Doll 3

It was not right, no one should be force to go if they don't want to.

Pete R

No, Bill Clinton was never punished, he was rewarded.

Steven J

Not everyone had influential parents like The Bush's or the Quayles.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: