People who still think we were right to be in Vietnam will never vote Democratic again.

[Ken Burch]

And it's only people like that who would care that Bernie followed his conscience on that useless waste of millions of lives.

[awake]

1. Just wondering were you around during the Vietnam War?

Did you know or have any friends who were Drafted?

[Ken Burch]

2. I had relatives. They didn't hate CO's.

The only people who do are total right-wingers.

[awake]

5. Having lived through that time

I can say the divisiveness led some to become Reagan Decorates. I would hate to see this country return to the turmoil that the War created.

[Snotcicles]

10. I turned twenty in 73 the last year of the draft. I got lucky, I had a high lottery number.

Nobody I knew wanted to go. I heard friends stories of older brothers coming back pretty messed up. PTSD.
I was a junior in high school when the Kent State shooting happened. I had never seen my Dad as angry as he was over those students being fired upon.

[CorporatistNation]

17. Hillary Was Around... And She Is Just Itchin ... To Get Her Hands On The Wheel of Our

Military!!! Then she can really be a "leader..." Hillary!

[NCTraveler]

3. I don't know anyone who thinks it was right.

While history hasn't been completely truthful in the public sphere, the drafts effect lasted in stories and many horrors being revealed. Overall, if they know it or not, history taught the emotion of this one right.

[Electric Monk]

4. Anyone who thinks America's war in Vietnam was a good war is no friend of mine. nt

[TeddyR]

6. My father and uncle are Vietnam vets

And both lost friends in that war. Not sure how either feels about COs but neither would say the war was "good."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. I had friends killed in that war, guys that I served with.

One of them was a good friend. We both thought the war was a really, really, bad idea morally, and politically. I got out just before it really got hot in 1965. The others weren't so lucky. I joined the protests in 1966 when I started college. And, I saw a lot of other vets in the protests.

[malthaussen]

8. From the context, I assume you want "bad idea"...

... in there after the "really, really."

-- Mal

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Thanks Mal, fixed it.

I also had better eyesight back then.

[malthaussen]

15. Didn't we all. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

11. No shit.

[Renew Deal]

12. The world is not black and white.

Setting that aside, are there still people that think Vietnam was the right thing to do? I haven't heard anyone say that in a very long time.

[KingCharlemagne]

18. Reagan said it was a "noble cause." Reagan also visited the

SS cemetery at Bitburg. Cheney had 'other priorities.' Romney protested against anti-war protesters but then conveniently had his 'Mormon mission' to . . . France ! When his # would have come up.

[comradebillyboy]

13. Back in the 60s a lot of Democrats supported the Viet Nam War.

That was one reason the 1968 Democratic convention that nominated pro war liberal Hubert Humphrey was such a shit show. The party was very divided and in no sense unanimously opposed to that war. I suspect there are still loyal Dems who were pro war in the 60s.

[KingCharlemagne]

19. Historical note: Humphrey broke with LBJ over the war after he was nominated but

when it was too late to make a difference. And there was the little matter of Tricky Dick and Kissinger's treason vis-a-vis Claire Cennault and Thieu.

[Ken Burch]

22. Thanks for reminding us of that. n/t.

[Ken Burch]

23. Back in the 60s, yes. But that was decades ago.

Only the GOP types nurture that delusion now.

[SCVDem]

14. It's the dominoes!

My ass!

USMC 73 to 78
Semper Fi!

[dogman]

16. I'm not sure.

There were too many Democrats that voted for the Iraq War with full knowledge of Vietnam. Polls or research must have shown otherwise?

[dsc]

20. There might be some who lost people close to them in the war

oppose the war, but would have problems with those who didn't go to the war by means that weren't available to those who they lost. I know some who found Quayle unacceptable on that account.

[Ken Burch]

21. CO status was available to all who applied for it, though. It didn't require privilege

It had nothing in common with Dan Quayle having his daddy pull strings to get him into a full National Guard unit.

And taking CO status wasn't about "not going to the war". it was about making the statement of opposition to militarism.