Vietnam Era Strife The Draft

Famous Draft Evaders/Dodgers? George W. Bush National Guard Dick Cheney Marriage and Kids Bill Clinton Student Deferment Cassius Clay Religious Objection

Pre 1969 Draft 18-25 year old males eligible for first priority Oldest first policy held young people up for their entire period of eligibility. Local draft boards made huge decisions regarding who would go and who would be deferred. i.e. All white draft boards in Mississippi where 42 percent of the population was Black. 10,000 members of the Mississippi National Guard and not one African-American in the whole organization.

1970 Draft Lottery Attempt to make the draft more fair. Still many ways of avoiding service due to huge amount of deferments. First priority went to young men turning 20 on the year of the lottery. This made it so you didn’t have to worry for as many years. In 1970 #s 1-195 were drawn. http://www.landscaper.net/draft.htm

The Draft Today Student derferment only works until the end of the current semester. Local boards are required by law to be representative of the racial and national origins of the registrants in the area served by the board. Today we would use a lottery. We would use the rule of 20. You are eligible for your entire year of your 20th birthday for high priority.

Famous Draft Protests and Riots 1965-Draft Card Burnings at Berkley. 30,000 attended. 1966-Muhammad Ali sentenced to five years. Later appealed. Lost heavyweight title and banned for three years. 1967-400,000 march on Central Park in New York. Addressed by Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Benjamin Spock. 1968 - Democratic National Convention. Turned into a “police riot,” eight people charged with conspiracy to riot. 1969 – Moritorium to End the Vietnam War Day. Millions took the day off from work and school to protest the war. 1970- Kent State Riots. Protest at the National Guard Building leave three dead.

Public Opinion:MonthPercentage who agreed with war August 1965 61% March 1966 59% May 1966 49% September 1966 48% November 1966 51% February 1967 52% May 1967 50% July 1967 48% October 1967 44% December 1967 48% February 1968 42% March 1968 41% April 1968 40% August 1968 35% October 1968 37% February 1969 39% October 1969 32% January 1970 33% April 1970 34% May 1970 36% January 1971 31% May 1971 28%