Editing Draft evasion (section)

=====Prominent people arguably manipulating the system=====
For decades after the Vietnam War ended, prominent Americans were being accused of having manipulated the draft system to their advantage.

According to a column by [[E. J. Dionne]] in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', by 2006 politicians whom opponents had accused of improperly avoiding the draft included [[George W. Bush military service controversy|George W. Bush]], [[Dick Cheney#Early life and education|Dick Cheney]], and [[Bill Clinton#College and law school years|Bill Clinton]].<ref>[[E. J. Dionne|Dionne, E.J.]] (17 January 2006)."[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/16/AR2006011600913.html Murtha and the Mudslingers]". ''The Washington Post'', p.&nbsp;A17. Retrieved 14 August 2012.</ref>

[[File:Ted Nugent at the Redneck Country Club, July 6, 2017 MG 9741 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ted Nugent]] reportedly took extreme measures to avoid the draft.<ref name=Sirius />]]

In a 1970s ''[[High Times]]'' article, American singer-songwriter [[Ted Nugent]] stated that he took [[Methamphetamine|crystal meth]], and urinated and defecated in his pants before his physical, in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.<ref name=Sirius>[[R. U. Sirius|Sirius, R.U.]] (2009). ''Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs''. [[Kensington Books|Kensington Publishing Corp.]], pp.&nbsp;47–48.  {{ISBN|978-0-8065-3073-4}}.</ref> In a 1990 interview with a large Detroit newspaper, Nugent made similar statements.<ref>Noriyuki, Duane (15 July 1990). "Ted Nugent Grows Up?". ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'', magazine section, pp.&nbsp;6, 10."[https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2014/03/26/the-worst-ted-nugent-interview-of-all-time/198607  The Worst Ted Nugent Interview of All Time]".  [[Media Matters for America]], online article (see under the sub-head "Nugent Says He Soiled Himself To Avoid Vietnam Among Other Bizarre Anecdotes"). Retrieved 27 July 2018.</ref>

Actor and comedian [[Chevy Chase]] also misled his draft board. In 1989, approximately two decades after the fact, Chase revealed on a television talk show that he avoided the Vietnam War by making several false claims to his draft board, including that he harbored homosexual tendencies. He added he was "not very proud" of having done that.<ref>O'Connor, John J. (11 January 1989). "[https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/11/arts/review-television-late-night-chitchat-additions-pat-sajak-and-arsenio-hall.html  Review / Television; Late-Night Chitchat Additions: Pat Sajak and Arsenio Hall]". ''The New York Times'', p.&nbsp;C-17. Retrieved 1 November 2019.</ref> Several politically charged books subsequently discussed Chase's behavior.<ref>Kusch (2001), cited above, p.&nbsp;71.</ref><ref>Gottlieb, Sherry Gershon (1991). ''Hell No, We Won't Go: Resisting the Draft During the Vietnam War''.  New York: Viking Press, p.&nbsp;96. {{ISBN|978-0-670-83935-3}}.</ref>

Radio talk show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] {{clarify span|reason=Did he, or didn't he? See MOS:ALLEGED. |reportedly|date=July 2020}} avoided the Vietnam draft because of anal [[cyst]]s. In a 2011 book critical of Limbaugh, journalist John K. Wilson accused Limbaugh making "hyperbolic attacks on foreign policy".<ref>Wilson, John K. (2011). ''The Most Dangerous Man in America: Rush Limbaugh's Assault on Reason''. New York: St. Martin's Press, p.&nbsp;80 ("Limbaugh at War" section). {{ISBN|978-0-312-61214-6}}.</ref>

Former Republican presidential nominee [[Mitt Romney]]'s deferment has been questioned. {{clarify span|reason=Have we changed gears here, or is this still about Romney? The interpolated ' – Romney's church – ' here is highly suspect. |During the Vietnam War, [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) – Romney's church – became embroiled in controversy for deferring large numbers of its young members."|date=July 2020}}<ref>[[Michael Kranish|Kranish, Michael]]; Hellman, Scott (2012). ''The Real Romney''. New York: HarperCollins, pp.&nbsp;61–62. {{ISBN|978-0-06-212327-5}}.</ref> The LDS Church eventually agreed to cap the number of missionary deferments it sought for members in any one region.<ref name=Kranish>[[Michael Kranish|Kranish, Michael]] (24 June 2007).  "[http://archive.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part1_side_2  Mormon Church Obtained Vietnam Draft Deferrals for Romney, Other Missionaries]". ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', web exclusive, now at [[Boston.com]] regional website. Retrieved 17 January 2018.</ref> After Romney dropped out of Stanford University and was about to lose his student deferment, he decided to become a missionary; and the LDS Church in his home state of Michigan chose to give him one of that state's missionary deferments.<ref name=Conason /> In a ''[[Salon (website)|Salon]]'' article from 2007, journalist [[Joe Conason]] noted that Romney's father had been governor of Michigan at the time.<ref name=Conason>[[Joe Conason|Conason, Joe]] (20 July 2007).  "[https://www.salon.com/2007/07/20/rudy_and_romney  Rudy and Romney: Artful Dodgers]". [[Salon (website)|Salon]] online magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2018.</ref>

Attention has also been paid to independent Senator [[Bernie Sanders]]'s failure to serve. In an article in ''[[The Atlantic]]'', it was reported that, after graduating from the University of Chicago in 1964, and moving back to New York City, the future candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination applied for [[conscientious objector]] status – even though as Sanders acknowledged to the reporter, he was not religious.<ref name=Banks>[[Russell Banks|Banks, Russell]] (5 October 2015).  "[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/bernie-sanders-mayor/407413 Bernie Sanders, the Socialist Mayor]". ''[[The Atlantic]]'', online; third section, 10th paragraph. Retrieved 27 July 2018.</ref> (Sanders was opposed to the Vietnam War.<ref>Banks (5 October 2015), cited above, third section, 9th paragraph. Retrieved 27 July 2018.</ref> At the time, however, CO status was granted entirely on the basis of religious opposition to all war.<ref name=Banks />) Sanders's CO status was denied. Nevertheless, a "lengthy series of hearings, an FBI investigation and numerous postponements and delays" took him to age 26 at which point he was no longer eligible for the draft.<ref name=Banks /> In a 2015 book critical of Sanders, journalist Harry Jaffe revisited that portion of the ''Atlantic'' article, emphasizing that by the time Sanders's "numerous hearings" had run their course he was "too old to be drafted".<ref>Jaffe, Harry (2015).  ''Why Bernie Sanders Matters''. Regan Arts / [[Phaidon Press]], p.&nbsp;54. This book was published in December 2015, two months before the [[Iowa Democratic caucuses, 2016]]. {{ISBN|978-1-68245-017-8}}.</ref>

U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] graduated from college in the spring of 1968, and became eligible for military service. Trump however, due to a personal friend of his father's, a medical doctor, was granted a diagnosis of [[Exostosis|bone spurs]] in his heels. The diagnosis allowed Trump to receive a medical deferment.<ref name=eder2>Eder, Steve; Philipps, Dave (1 August 2016). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html?mcubz=3 Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet]". ''The New York Times'', p.&nbsp;A1. Print edition has a different date and headline. Retrieved 17 January 2018.</ref>