What is worse: never enlisting or enlisting and seldom showing up?

[loudnclear]

Just asking.

If not going to Viet Nam was an issue (eventhough Clinton honestly said he did not believe the Viet Nam war was right), then Bush's failure to show up for duty in the NG AND not going to Viet Nam (eventhough Bush says he supported the Viet Nam war) is a HUGE issue now!

[boxster]

1. The latter, in Bush's case.

Because the other option was that he'd potentially get drafted. This way, he was pretty much guaranteed to stay state-side, and he still couldn't be bothered to show up.

[Thor_MN]

2. Enlisting and not showing up. It's a lie.

* appears to be addicted to lies. Either that or it is a manifestation of his ADD. Has he ever followed through on anything to completion?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Not showing up is FAR worse...

IMHO, those that made the decision not to go to Vietnam, and those that volunteered to go, show me the greatest amount of personal character. I would also include those that were drafted and chose to go or not go as among those being true to their own personal beliefs.

On the other hand, a person that made a contractual obligation to serve in a reserve unit back in the states and fails to show up for that duty is, IMHO, among the lowest of the low. On top of that, while Junior was AWOL/deserting, Americans were still being killed in Vietnam.

IMHO, Junior should never have been allowed to RUN for president much less gain a position of power that would allow him to order other young men into combat.

[Nobody]

4. Depends on who the Republican is

There are two sets of standards for Democrats and Republicans. It's OK for Republicans to lie, cheat, and steal, but a Democrat can't even stray from the straight and narrow without an impeachment case being made of it.

The USA is not a democracy, it's a hypocracy.

[Raven]

5. During the Vietnam War you couldn't just not show up.

My recollection is that the only way to avoid being drafted was to join an aternate service like the guard or to be determined 4F or a conscientious objector. Early in the draft kids in college were exempted and I think married people were exempted. But by 1972, it was open season. I had many friends who were facing this in 1968. Some joined the guard, one went to work for the Agency for International Development, a few went to Canada, some were CO's. But a good many of my friends did not agree with the war, were not CO's and didn't want to go to Canada. My husband was one of them. He spent a year in Vietnam and, like Kerry, joined the anti-war movement when he returned.

My personal opinion is that anyone who was fortunate enough to get into the guard would have been crazy not to show up. In those days the fear was that if you didn't, you'd get busted and find yourself on the next convoy to Vietnam. Only people like Bush with the contacts he had would have been able to get away with that without dire consequences.

Also, if I or my husband needed to prove we were in the military during the Vietnam War, we could come up with dozens of people who could vouch for us...dozens! I mean, this was a formative experience and not one easily forgotten!

[madrchsod]

6. i had a student deferments

then after i was married and had a child i was called up. i didn`t recieve a marriage deferment. i went to my induction and told the guy i wasn`t going,pissed him off so bad he started stammering and sent me to the shrink, told him i had lsd flashbacks,etc,etc..4f i was crazy i guess....but at least i showed up to face going to jail. if i remember right, if you didn`t do your ng duties you got your ass shipped of to the war.

[Raven]

7. Absolutely!!!

My point being that people didn't take this lightly back then unless, of course, they knew there were not going to be consequences for them.

[DinahMoeHum]

8. The latter. Bush is no Kerry, he's not even Dan Quayle !!

at least Quayle put in his time and showed up in the Indiana NG.


:kick:

[number6]

9. enlisting and seldom showing up.

If you make an agreement live up to it.

[Dr Fate]

10. Both. Let Bush say which one he did.

Both are bad for a "War President"

It's Bush's job, not ours, to tell us which one he did, and which is worse...