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Show GET FACTS FIRST Criticism and resentment of the Selective Service "Draft" is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the country, undoubtedly because the vast majortity of people effected by the draft, parents par-ents and Selective Service registrants, feel that the Vietnam War is unjust and unnecessary, and also because of a lack of understanding of the Selective service regulations. This resentment may be entirely justified, but it is unfair and unreasonable that the major portion of the resentment and the criticism should be heaped on the "local boards". Politicians and media commentators are to blame for most of 1 ho criticism being directed toward the local boards, and it seems to us that it is time that Congress accept the responsibility for the draft, rather ra-ther than using the local boards as a "whipping boy" so that constituents will not become critical of the law makers. Congressmen are continually assailing the draft as unfair, unjust and unworkable, nearly always placing the blame, by inference at least, on the local boards. But after all Congress wrote the draft law, and it has been implemented by presidential presiden-tial decree all the local boards do is carry out the regulations handed down to them. Too often misunderstanding and confusion arises from the fact that media commentators expounded at great length about the unjust ness of the draft law without really knowing the true workings of the local boards, and nearly always leaving the impression im-pression that local boards are the cause of everything every-thing that appears to be unfair about the draft. The accusations of such commentators invariably create greater misunderstanding and mistrust among the parents and registrants. The military cannot escape blame either, particularly partic-ularly because military leaders refuse to accept registrants reg-istrants with minor physical disabilities for non-combat duty. There may be justifiable reasons for this, but when registrants are rejected for reasons not apparent to those without definite knowledge about these ailments or disabilities it invariably creates suspicion about why such men are not in the service, serv-ice, with the boards nearly always accused of favoring favor-ing some young men over others. In any area not so heavily populated but where "everyone knows everyone else", it -is naturally hard for parents to understand why their son is called into service when neighbors and acquaintances are not called and for no apparent reason. Invariably this results in the local boards being accused of unfair un-fair actions. True, local boards may make mistakes, but in the vast majority of cases the so-called unjustness is the result of provisions of the law, or the rulings of authorities auth-orities much higher than the draft board member. If the law is unjust, then it is time congressmen and military leaders accept the responsibility of providing pro-viding a law that is just, and people generally become be-come familiar enough with the provisions of Selective Selec-tive Service to recognize who is responsible, and not jump at the easy conclusion that the draft board member is to blame for everything that looks unfair. |