The United States is hovering at a precarious point in our history. The choice is to either go forward with moral clarity or succumb to our violent past with symptoms of racism, xenophobia, nativism, sexism, misogyny, ageism, anti-Veterans, anti-American values and more.
Unfortunately, the party of Lincoln is wracked with dangerous splits with the only common factors being racism, sexism, equivocations and presidential obstruction. Party vision extends only to the present and disregards past lessons to integrate with the future. The most important factors seem to be hindering the President, haranguing Hillary Clinton and uttering senseless statements.
Presumptive presidential candidate Donald John Trump spouts a litany of offensive equivocations, governmental and global ignorance, and flirtation with right wing racism and anti-Semitism. His attacks on people of color, Judaism, women and Muslims seem to evolve from the same extremist philosophy; and a misguided plan to generate support from a base believing the same.
Trump’s early life shows incorrigibility with parental sentence of military school beginning at age twelve. The next six years were spent with a heavy program of military ethics, duty and honor. He seems to have rebelled against these and has displayed questionable patriotism, respect for the fallen and ignorance of American values.
Reaching the age of eighteen meant Selective Service registration and Trump was no exception. Following indicates his draft history:
2-S school exemption 7/28/64
2-S school exemption 12/14/65
1-A induction eligible 11/22/66
2-S school exemption 12/13/66
2-S school exemption 1/16/68
1-A induction eligible 7/9/68
1-Y not eligible 10/15/68
Trump passed his military physical examination on 12/15/66 with no indication of any disqualifying conditions. He received two successive exemptions for college, but faced a Fortunate Son dilemma due to the Vietnam War heating up. Trump was briefly eligible for entry beginning on 11/22/66, but was able to achieve more 2-S deferments until July, 1968. He now faced the realistic expectation of military service since there were no more college exemptions to be had. The Vietnam War was at its apex following the Tet Offensive in late January, 1968, and troop strength was over 500,000. Trump underwent another service physical on 9/17/68 presenting a private physician letter attesting to a diagnosis of bone heel spurs. Young Trump was given an exemption of 1-Y, not eligible for induction except in time of national emergency or declared war. This seems odd since the young man participated in athletics at the military academy and secondly, the US was in dire need of more military manpower to fight the war. Subsequently, many young men were inducted into with minor medical or psychological issues to fill the rolls. Bone heel spurs were not necessarily disqualifying since men were being accepted with flat feet, a more debilitating condition. The only other factor to take into consideration is relatively simple-he was the son of a millionaire thus in today’s parlance, affluenza. Trump later bragged his condition was not painful and temporary thus negating the 1-Y rating given and proving his Fortunate Son status. He also stated his personal Vietnam was partying and bedding beautiful women with a developing fear of venereal disease. Donnie has refused to discuss the draft subject during the campaign rebuffing all questions. One can only ponder the fate of those who took his place in the draft.
