Romey, at 19, supported the draft. But his status as 'Mormon missionary' exempted him from the draft

[sad sally]

Taking a stand: A young Mitt Romney holds up a placard at a pro-draft demonstration at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, in May 1966

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.

But, in a marked contrast to the relaxed dress sense associated with that decade's youth movement, he is wearing smart white slacks, a white buttoned-up shirt and a dark blazer.

A newspaper clipping headlined 'Governor's son pickets the pickets' states: 'Mitt Romney, son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, was one of the pickets who supported the Stanford University administration in opposition to sit-in


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083002/Mitt-Romney-19-demonstrated-favour-Vietnam-War-draft.html#ixzz1j6DShsmN?du

[ddeclue]

1. I'm not gonna go after Romney over this.. it's a bit silly..

for one thing it says "speak out don't sit in" not "I support the draft go and serve your country while I go to Stanford."

I take "speak out" to mean that he doesn't have a problem with people speaking out against the Vietnam War. I take "don't sit in" to mean he objects to sit ins. You have actually identified the world's first and only "moderate protestor"... congratulations.

There's plenty to go after Romney about - especially his corporate raider "capitalism" but this is old and silly news.

[Angry Dragon]

8. I disagree

It speaks volumes about his dis-regard for others

[ddeclue]

10. "Speak out don't sit in" speaks volumes?

What does it say exactly other than he doesn't mind if you speak out against the war but he does mind if you sit in?

Doesn't say very much at all..kind of like today.

[Angry Dragon]

11. Perhaps you could do a little research instead of basing

all you opinion on one picture

[ddeclue]

14. Not my responsibility since I'm not the one making the assertions..

[dmr]

2. It's easy to support endangering others when your own neck isn't on the line.

If he was so patriotic & supportive, he could've joined up, did a tour or two, THEN go off on his missionary work.

That seems to be the honorable thing to do. Seriously.

[ddeclue]

3. Well his sign doesn't say "I support the war" or "I support the draft"...

just sayin' and at 19 John Kerry wasn't opposed either. He actually volunteered to join the Navy and fight in the war and didn't oppose it until he was involved in it. It's a bit over the top to go after Romney over whether he supported the Vietnam War or not when there is plenty of recent history to go after him on.

[FreeState]

17. The LDS church has viewed military service as equal to missionary work for a long while

The church treats its service members with the same regard as missionaries and view military service as equal to missionary work (if you serve in the military your not asked to serve a mission usually).

[Rockholm]

4. Sorry to be the spell check police, but it is Romney.

Or, maybe you are talking about Romy from Romy and Michelle?

[ddeclue]

6. If you are going to spell it wrong I recommend Rmoney personally

[Rockholm]

18. I LOVE that! The R on Romney's campaign shit looks like the Rolls Royce moniker.

[marmar]

5. He is such the stereotype silver spoon Republican.

nt

[pinboy3niner]

13. Yes. A Fortunate Son...

Fortunate Son
Recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Written by John Fogerty

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

&feature=related

[Moonwalk]

7. Being a Mormon Missionary Exempted One from the Draft? Really?

Well, hell. This just makes me more anti-religion. I mean, Mormons are hardly pacifists, so why should being a Mormon Missionary exempt one from serving? This isn't like someone who's Amish and, by way of their religion, will not fight. I'm surprised the ranks of mormon missionaries didn't swell if this was true. Then again, it would require cutting one's hair....

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. IIRC all "active" clergy were exempted

[Ron Obvious]

9. Why exempt missionaries?

Why on earth should Mormon or any other religion's missionaries have been excluded from the draft? Fathers and teachers I could understand, but missionaries? Seeing as they have no genuine value to society and their stated goal is to spread their religion, they should have been the first ones to go.

[Siwsan]

12. He didn't have to accept the exemption

He is a chicken hawk. I served, in the Navy, with Mormons, there are plenty of Mormons in the military and there always have been. Again, he is a chicken hawk.

[Historic NY]

16. Followup older article...Mormon church got the deferments.....

<snip>
Before and after his missionary deferment, Romney also received nearly three years of deferments for his academic studies. When his deferments ended and he became eligible for military service in 1970, he drew a high number in the annual lottery that determined which young men were drafted. His high number ensured he was not drafted into the military.

The deferments for Mormon missionaries became increasingly controversial in the late 1960s, especially in Utah, leading the Mormon Church and the government to limit the number of church missionaries who could put off their military service. That agreement called for each church ward, or church district, to designate one male every six months to be exempted from potential duty for the duration of his missionary work.

Romney's home state was Michigan, making his 4-D exemption as a missionary all but automatic because of the relatively small number of Mormon missionaries from that state. It might have been more difficult in Utah, where the huge Mormon population meant that there were sometimes more missionaries than available exemptions. Most missions lasted two and a half years, as Romney's did.

<snip>

"I really don’t recall thinking about political positions when I was knocking at the door in France" as a missionary, Romney said. "I was supportive of my country. I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and 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."

At the same time, Romney said, he was influenced by the statement of his father, then-Michigan Governor George W. Romney, who said in 1967 that he had been "brainwashed" by US officials about Vietnam. "When my dad said that he had been wrong about Vietnam and that it was a mistake and they had been brainwashed and so forth, I certainly trusted him and believed him," Romney said.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part1_side_2/?page=full