Whoopi Goldberg Attempts A "Gotcha" On Ann Romney About Mormons And Military Service. Ann Saves Her Bacon Anyway.

[USU78]

Started out with 11S. Draft number was 122. I enlisted in 1971.

It's really pretty easy to me.

I don't have a problem if you opposed the war, and didn't serve.

I don't have a problem if you opposed the war, were Drafted, and served anyway. In whatever capacity met the needs of the Service.

I don't have a problem if you supported the war and served in whatever capacity met the needs of the Service.

I do have a problem if you supported the war, and still did in all your power not to serve.

And you are the judge of such things, yes?

As Kerry was the judge of all those other officers and men who served in SE Asia, when he accused one and all of war crimes?

Or are you more discriminating in your judgments than he?

[DH]

I think Goldberg was merely misinformed, not attempting a "gotcha."

[DH]

To both you & tss, do you believe that since you vote third party you're still doing your patriotic duty? I've felt strongly to not vote for either candidate in the past but felt I had to choose between the two because voting for the third option wasn't going to do squat with our current voting system. It's good to know there are these options and it's okay.

It's precisely because of that attitude that third parties haven't been able to gain more ground. If people would break out of their binary EITHER Democrat OR Republican mindset, third party candidates would have a chance. Nobody is forcing us to vote either red or blue, with no other options.

[USU78]

It's precisely because of that attitude that third parties haven't been able to gain more ground. If people would break out of their binary EITHER Democrat OR Republican mindset, third party candidates would have a chance. Nobody is forcing us to vote either red or blue, with no other options.

Because the Italian model has proven so very effective, humane, and wise.

[thesometimesaint]

USU78:

By their fruits... .

Were there us war criminals in Vietnam? Does the name William Calley come to mind.

In spring 1971, embittered veterans demonstrated against the war in Washington, many throwing away their medals.

One of their leaders, John Kerry, then a recently discharged Navy officer, now a senator and presidential candidate, delivered an impassioned speech to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April 1971.

American troops in Vietnam, he said, had "raped, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country."

Mr. Kerry's account came from his own experience, as well as from a three-day conference of the fledgling Vietnam Veterans Against the War. At the conference, he said, "over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia, not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."

[thesometimesaint]

To both you & tss, do you believe that since you vote third party you're still doing your patriotic duty? I've felt strongly to not vote for either candidate in the past but felt I had to choose between the two because voting for the third option wasn't going to do squat with our current voting system. It's good to know there are these options and it's okay.

I always vote my conscience. That is why I'm nearly always disappointed in who is actually elected.

[ERayR]

TAO:

Never said they were. My son served his Mission for the US Military in a war zone. Then after his Discharge serviced his Mission for the Church in Zimbabwe.

One of those things is still not like the other.

And Mr Obama did neither.

[ERayR]

GG:

Obama was 10 years old when the US involvement in the Vietnam War ended.

He, however, didn't serve in a peacetime military.

[ERayR]

I think Goldberg was merely misinformed, not attempting a "gotcha."

And I own this neat bridge near San Francisco that I would sell you.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Did you long to be in combat?

YOu are so getting hung up on a non starter. Your dude Obama didnt serve in the military. Your only issue here is that Mitt is a Rubuplican. That is it. Move along. I predict you will make an excuse for your boy Obe.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

GG:

Obama was 10 years old when the US involvement in the Vietnam War ended.

Completely and totally irrelevant Your boy Honest Obe could have still served. Nothing prevented him. This is just a "gotcha" because Obe is going to lose the election. Anything to deflect from his abysmal record.

[cursor]

Mitt Romney quotes:

• 1994 – "I was not planning on signing up for the military."
  
• 1994 – "It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam, but nor did I take any actions to remove myself from the pool of young men who were eligible for the draft."
  
• 2007 – "I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and to be representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in Vietnam."
  

Please correct me if I'm wrong:.

• He had two 2-S deferments prior to his missionary experience.
  
• He had a D-4 determent when serving as a missionary (30 months, from July 1966 to February 1969).
  
• He had two 2-S deferments after his missionary experience.
  

The Selective Service draft that applied to Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) wasn't performed until December of the year that he returned from his mission. While his number was 300 (they were only drafting prospects with numbers at or below 195 in that year, and lower in subsequent years), He STILL had two student deferments after his mission.

[Garden Girl]

GG:

Obama was 10 years old when the US involvement in the Vietnam War ended.

Doesn't matter... he could have given time to military service but he didn't... he chose not to... and no one asked him about what he would tell the mothers whose sons did serve and came home in bags. No, Whoopi saw fit only to ask Ann Romney what she would tell the mothers because neither Mitt nor her five sons served... Double standard... always the Double Standard.

The question was deliberately posed to Ann to put her on the spot, and to make her uncomfortable.

There is no doubt in my mind.

GG

[cursor]

Doesn't matter... he [Obama] could have given time to military service but he didn't... he chose not to...

As late as 2010 a mere 0.75% of the population of the United States were in the military (reference)—and that's with serious war ongoing. Surely it is unreasonable to assume that all young men and women should serve in the military (particularly during more peaceful times). Certainly to fault anyone who chooses an alternative profession (the military has been professional/volunteer organization since 1973, I believe) is unreasonable. When Barack Obama turned 18 (in 1979) we were not at war in Afghanistan, Iraq ... and we were not at war in Vietnam.

[Ares]

For obvious reasons.