In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.
While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.
Source: Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribine.
This post bothers me.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah Wright is being criticized for his ideas. His military service doesn't exclude him from this criticism.
Also, just because someone joins the military, it does not make them somehow better than the college student, or the business man, or the father. I find it equally as honorable to use your intellect to get an education as it is to join the military.
Wright can still be a crackpot and have disgusting, retrograde ideas, and be a veteran. VP Cheney can be an honorable man and be part of the majority of people his age that didn't serve.
Judge people based on what they do, say, and think, not about what they didn't do in their twenties.