When we took notes on the movie, Vietnam: A Television History, "Nixon's Inauguration" and when we discussed it with the class. I found it interesting that men when they were drafted tried to have deferments. There were two kinds of deferements: medical ones and the ones that were for students. If you were a man attending a college or university which usually was the rich or upper class, those that could afford it. Basically the upper class could afford to go to college, and the middle class/lower class would be forced into the draft. Some men forced medical problems on themselves like the example from the move: a man (writer James Fallows) tried to lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks so that he would fail his physical, and therefore not be forced into the draft.Then according to our notes "Ways that the Iraq War is the same/different as/ than the Vietnam War" worksheet, it says that "no one has been prosecuted for failure to comply with draft registration since 1986....". If there was a draft now in the Iraq war, not just for men but for women also, due to the women's right movements, women would also be able to be drafted.
What do you think you would do: go through with being drafted not knowing what will happen to you? Or would you try to get some kind of deferment?
Alexandra S. - 5th Hr.
