'Fortunate Son' Mitt Romney protested in favor of Vietnam draft, then dodged

[rambone]

In 1966, preppy son-of-a-governor Mitt Romney spent his free time picketing at pro-war rallies at Stanford University. Despite his support of interventionist foreign wars and forced service to the state, he did not volunteer for the cause, nor answer the call when drafted.

He was used college as means to defer the draft, and dropped out after 2 semesters. He then went to France to become a Mormon Missionary, where he lived in a "palace" for 3 years and again was able to defer the draft. After his Tour de Ferment, he came back to the States and again used college to defer the draft for the remainder of the war.

Mitt Romney went on to become a socialist 1-term governor, and then ran for president on a platform of more interventionist war and stripping Americans of their rights of due process.

I think the draft is among the most reviled things a government can do to its citizens. If you are going to be out campaigning for foreign wars while others die, and spend a career promoting more wars, your ass better not let a little thing like algebra class prevent you from going off to the jungle to fight the Vietcong. Mitt Romney, hypocrite statist.

Mitt Romney, 19, demonstrated in favour of Vietnam War draft

Mr Romney will no doubt be proud of his younger self taking what was at the time a very unpopular stance.However, he might grimace at his clean-cut appearance and preppy wardrobe.
Taken at the height of the swinging Sixties, Mr Romney holds a sign declaring 'Speak Out, Don't Sit In' as, alongside like-minded individuals, he proclaims his support for Lyndon Johnson's ever-expanding draft.

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Exclusive: Mitt Romney, Student Protester

Romney's moment at a '60s protest was reported in some newspapers the next day with a mention that the son of Michigan Governor George Romney -- who would later turn against the Vietnam War -- had been spotted at the event. The photo was also mentioned by the Boston Globe in 2008, with a partial image of the event clipped from a newspaper front page. The paper wrote in its definitive series on the former governor that, "Among the long hair and ragged clothes of his classmates, Romney stood out both for his smart appearance and his ardent support of the war."

Romney's draft deferments

Before joining college, Romney had received a deferment from the draft as a Mormon 'minister of religion' for the duration of his missionary work in France, which lasted two and a half years. At the time, there was an agreement of sorts between the church and the Selective Service allowing exemptions from the draft for missionaries. Before and after his missionary deferment, Romney also received nearly three years of deferments for his academic studies.

"Draft me if you can!!"
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Strange But True: Mitt Romney Spent The Vietnam War In A French Palace

Like many hawkish politicians of his generation, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney managed to avoid serving in the Vietnam War through family connections. The young Romney could not use a student deferment from the draft -- having dropped out of Stanford University after only two semesters -- but avoided service anyway with the assistance of the Mormon elders.

The son of George Romney, then Michigan's governor, he was one of a limited number of Mormon youth chosen as missionaries -- a status that protected him from the draft between July 1966 and February 1969 as a "minister of religion or divinity student." Essentially, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints re-routed Romney from Vietnam to the south of France, where he served as missionary.

According to Romney, proselytizing in la belle France was no picnic. Romney recently rebutted suggestions that his immense wealth has left him out of touch with ordinary Americans by claiming he learned how the other 99 percent live through his service in France. According to Romney, his French quarters had no working bathroom -- "we had instead the little pads on the ground," and "there was a chain behind you with a bucket," Romney says -- and to shower, Romney claims that "if we were lucky, we actually bought a hose and we stuck it on the sink...and wash ourselves that way."

But Romney's gritty recollections contradict those of his fellow American missionaries, who told The Daily Telegraph that Romney lived in a "palace." Richard Anderson, the son of the mission president during Romney's stay, described it as "a house built by and for rich people," complete with stained glass windows (which scandalized the Mormon missionaries due to their depiction of a bare-breasted woman), chandeliers, massive bedrooms, a full-time chef, a houseboy, and yes -- a working bathroom.

 

[rambone]

Warmongering Mitt Romney uses war as a plank of his campaign

He released this back in 2010!! This was one of the first issues he wanted to campaign on. War, war, war!! Fear mooslems!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-dejS5JPPk

 

[rambone]

People like Mittens inspired this song

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMUBWKJ5A_0

 

[EvilBlackGun]

What Romney and Øbama share in common:

Detestation of all things military, including troops, and especially serving. Passion for "FREE" health-care paid for with O.P.M. Funky beliefs, or so I read on WIKI definitions.

 

[Bummer]

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

 

[browncofiddler]

rambone - Thank you for posting this. There's a little saying when one is sizing up a person (or an animal) to make a judgment call if we think something isn't quite right - Romney has always struck me this way, like there was more to the story - "he isn't right in the eye".

I can just imagine who is going to run with this - and rightfully so.

 

[lon]

I hate chicken-hawks...

 

[ocsdor]

 

[jeremy]

The Irony of the OP is amusing me...

 

[sloughfoot]

As a Vietnam era Vet (1970 to 1973), I have no problem with anyone who got out of going into the Military during the Vietnam years. I enlisted because I had wanted to be a soldier since I was 6 years old.

More power to them. I am glad that they found a way not to go into the Military. i know that I did not miss them. There were plenty of guys around that wanted to be there.

I have no problem with anybody who "dodged the draft". A draft is always unconstitutional, IMO.

I have no problem with someone not complying with a government edict protesting the protestors either.

I think it is odd that those who say that individual freedom and the concept of individual liberty are primary, yet they spit on those who would defy GOVERNMENT edicts that require military service.

I have never understood this.

BTW, lots of guys never saw the RVN. The Army put me right back in my hometown after training. My family didn't pull any strings either. I guess my mother could have refused to use her food stamps....

 

[sloughfoot]

Also, since I am venting, I have always heard that it was a "black mans war".

And what about those 50 or so black kids from Detroit in the MI National Guard who were going home after basic training VS all us white kids from the upper MidWest who went all over the world. Many of the white kids ended up in RVN.

Nobody in my company resented those black kids who found a way to stay out of RVN. Matter of fact, we all envied them.

The big green sends you where they want...There is no race or social status markings stamped on the outside of the personnel file.

It seems that all this "chickenhawk" stuff is touted by a lot of folks who were never in the Military.

Like all those folks who falsely claimed that GWB dodged the war by serving in the NG as a pilot.

As if the NG is not honorable service all by itself. The statement is a slap in the face to every troop who has ever served in the NG.

Plenty of NG troops have been sent into combat zones. Then and now.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

Rambone -

It isn't just the press that reports things they know little about, in this case, I fear that you have as well. As I have said before, I am decidedly NOT a Romney fan. That said, after reading some of the links that you included above, maybe I can shed some light on this which would portray things in a more fair manner. I do have some experience in this area since I myself have been a Mormon missionary (Japan in my case) and I think that will help.

Facts:
1) Under normal circumstances all Mormon guys are expected to serve as missionaries. Although I'm a bit younger than Mr. Romney, I did as well. My oldest son will be leaving to do the same within the month. It's what we do. Nobody has to agree with it, and it is NOT up for debate.

2) Mormons believe in obeying the law of the land. It's one of the main Articles of Faith. If drafted, we serve. This goes as far back as the Mormon Battalion, if you care to google that.

3) In times of war (draft especially) this creates a conflict. Young men are needed in two places at the same time. So the church made a simple request of the government: Can we have a limited number of people to keep our efforts from being decimated, while still sending as many of our guys to the war effort as possible? This was, as I recall, agreed to. Many Mormons served, and served with distinction, in Vietnam. Only a limited number were kept as missionaries.

4) Being a missionary is a volunteer thing - in spite of it being a tradition. I am sure that there were MANY who volunteered (hey, it's tradition, right?), and I'm sure that the numbers that could be accepted were limited. The rest went off to the draft, or enlisted etc. While one could argue that Romney's missionary selection was politics - it is equally reasonable to assume that the church would choose the most well spoken, articulate people that they could get, and it's entirely logical that Romney was among those.

5) "Used college as a means to defer the draft and the dropped out after two semesters" - that's a bit disingenuous. Did he go back to college once his missionary time was up? I totally believe he did (didn't research it). It is NORMAL for a Mormon guy to take 2 years off in the middle of college to serve a mission. Read up on the athletes at BYU and you know I'm right. I did it myself. Took two years off from UC Davis [insert pepper spray joke here], and returned to get my degree.

Given that - I cannot fault him for volunteering, and I cannot fault the church for choosing him. I CAN say that I wouldn't have been vocal either way on the draft unless I planned to go. I was barely born at this time - so that situation never came up in my case. But he was a son of a Republican governor at Stanford! And he was politically active! So are you surprised that there are pictures of him holding a sign? Really? You may not agree with it - that's fair, but to expect otherwise is a bit crazy...

Some other things that I think desrve clarification:

"Romney lived in a French Palace"

While on a mission - missionaries live in working class areas, and live amongst the people there. Been there, done that. They typically get reassigned areas every few months. There may be 100-200+ missionaries in a "Mission". That's the organizational unit. Mine was the Japan Tokyo North Mission, for example. Some of the places I lived in Japan were in pretty marginal apartments and some were great. Some were pretty close to squallid. There is one older guy (and his family) that serves as the Mission President. They are, in effect, the Ambassador for the church to whatever area is in question. They are the father and mother to all of these missionaries, and have direct responsibility for their well being. They OFTEN are required to meet dignitaries, and as such are housed in a typically NICE facility. It's necessary. It is effectively the Embassy for the missionaries in the area. It's where they will head in case of trouble. It's the Headquarters. So it makes TOTAL sense for that home to be VASTLY diferent from the apartments that most of the missionaries would live in!

So why was Mr. Romney there for part of the time he was in France? Typically from out of the large number of missionaries, leaders are chosen. There are leaders of small groups (Districts) and then the Mission President typically chooses two missionaries to be his Assistants. They are typically housed at the Mission Home, typically in living quarters separate from the Mission President and his family, but often on the same grounds. Romney was one of those.

Why am I explaining all of this? SO that you understand that it makes TOTAL sense that he lived in pretty squallid conditions for part of the time, and in some pretty slick circumstances for part of the time! This IS COMPLETELY BELIEVEABLE TO ME, as someone who has been there. People who would imply that there was something out of whack with this, simply do NOT understand the situation OR they have an axe to grind. The Daily Telegraph appears to have an axe to grind or they are ASSUMING that missionaries stay in the same place the entire duration of their mission - that's simply not true.

Again I go on the record saying that I'm not a fan of Romney's. There are candidates that I prefer over him. And by no small margin! I think that it would be entirely fair to criticize him for sitting out the war at Stanford or any other University (as about a zillion people did back then - see Clinton et al.). Heck, I think there's PLENTY of places you could fairly criticize him. But the stuff you've selected here reflects less than psoitively on you, sir. It smacks of hatchet work. We don't like it when hatchet jobs are done to gun owners, yet we seem to be quick to jump on that bandwagon when it suits our interest.

Rather than tearing every other candidate to shreds (and sometimes with marginal info like this), may I suggest that your cause would be better served by touting what Ron Paul is FOR and why he IS RIGHT for the job? I disagree with Romney about many things, but he is likely not as evil as you are trying to portray him. Maybe WRONG, but not evil. And the hatchet work discredits all of the other work that you do....

Was Romney born with a silver spoon? Likely. Do I disagree with his thinking on many things? Yep! Does he kill puppies by the light of the moon? I doubt it!

Sorry for the Magnum Opus, Rambone, but if we're to have any credibility, we need to understand the situation as it REALLY is. There is enough material to debate out there, with out resorting to the hatchet.

 

[rambone]

The Irony of the OP is amusing me...

What is the irony?

I have no problem with anybody who "dodged the draft". A draft is always unconstitutional, IMO.

I have no problem with someone not complying with a government edict protesting the protestors either.

I agree with all of this. Wholeheartedly. I think the draft is terrible. I've called it slavery.

I think it is odd that those who say that individual freedom and the concept of individual liberty are primary, yet they spit on those who would defy GOVERNMENT edicts that require military service.

I have never understood this.

If Romney was actually defying government, he'd be supporting the Sit-In protesters.

I don't have a problem with his deferments by themselves. Or his lack of desire to be a soldier. What I find sickening is his hypocrisy on war (not uncommon among he and his colleagues).

Wanting to send Americans to die in foreign lands is one of the few things that Romney hasn't flip-flopped on, to my knowledge. He protests the anti-war movement, while he sits comfortably behind his list of excuses to put his money where his mouth is.

Think about it, if he really things that freedom hung in the balance during Vietnam, what personal objectives would really hold him back? He couldn't postpone his precious business degree to fight for freedom?

 

[rambone]

ArmedProgrammer, thanks for your insight on the Mormon Missions. It gives me some more insight but does not alter the crux of my post; that being outspoken about Vietnam, while finding excuses not to go (perhaps college more notably than the missions), smacks of hypocrisy and he deserves to be called on it. He could have put down the books for a little while and gone off to bootcamp.

Given that - I cannot fault him for volunteering, and I cannot fault the church for choosing him. I CAN say that I wouldn't have been vocal either way on the draft unless I planned to go. I was barely born at this time - so that situation never came up in my case.

I agree with you on all of this.

But he was a son of a Republican governor at Stanford! And he was politically active! So are you surprised that there are pictures of him holding a sign? Really? You may not agree with it - that's fair, but to expect otherwise is a bit crazy...

I wouldn't say I'm surprised, and I can't totally rule out being crazy.

But his political history is on record and should be considered fair game by all. He was a big boy, he knew he was famous, and he should have known that his actions have consequences.

 

[rambone]

Discussion of draft during New Hampshire debate

This issue came up tonight in the ABC New Hampshire debate. Except it was with another vehemently pro-war guy who had better things to do, Newt Gingrich.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QJMM_btpmM

 

[hunter]

In 1966, preppy son-of-a-governor Mitt Romney spent his free time picketing at pro-war rallies at Stanford University. Despite his support of interventionist foreign wars and forced service to the state, he did not volunteer for the cause, nor answer the call when drafted.

He was used college as means to defer the draft, and dropped out after 2 semesters. He then went to France to become a Mormon Missionary, where he lived in a "palace" for 3 years and again was able to defer the draft. After his Tour de Ferment, he came back to the States and again used college to defer the draft for the remainder of the war.

Mitt Romney went on to become a socialist 1-term governor, and then ran for president on a platform of more interventionist war and stripping Americans of their rights of due process.

I think the draft is among the most reviled things a government can do to its citizens. If you are going to be out campaigning for foreign wars while others die, and spend a career promoting more wars, your ass better not let a little thing like algebra class prevent you from going off to the jungle to fight the Vietcong. Mitt Romney, hypocrite statist.

Mitt Romney, 19, demonstrated in favour of Vietnam War draft
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Exclusive: Mitt Romney, Student Protester
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Romney's draft deferments
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"Draft me if you can!!"

​

Strange But True: Mitt Romney Spent The Vietnam War In A French Palace
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Mitt Romney needs to go back to the French Palace so he can serve tea.

 

[jeremy]

What is the irony?

The fact you are bagging on someone for Not serving the Country...

 

[hornadylnl]

The fact you are bagging on someone for Not serving the Country...

I don't think he's bagging him simply for not serving. It's for supporting a war and the deferring.

 

[level.eleven]

I don't think he's bagging him simply for not serving. It's for supporting a war and the deferring.

The hawk designation. There is no irony here. That word is misused more often than not.

 

[rambone]

The fact you are bagging on someone for Not serving the Country...

You missed the irony in a pro-draft a*****e not wanting to get drafted.