Amnesty for draft evaders (Creative Writing - Highland Hall 1974)

Amnesty is forgiveness for a crime. This is how our government interprets it. There are many people who don't agree with this interpretation, especially when the war that is being evaded is unjust. Not only was the Vietnam war, unjust, but the draft was illegal. There is nothing written in the U.S. Constitution that says there may be a draft in the event of a war. So why should people who don't want to involve themselves in a crime be forgiven? They should be honored. The whole idea of conditional amnesty is an example of how corrupt our government is.

If President Ford can pardon Nixon for all the crimes Nixon committed, he could allow the draft dodgers to return to this country without having to serve in the military. Ford said that Nixon has suffered enough. That is the reason for his decision. The draft evaders have had to go to Canada, Mexico or wherever and many have suffered because they couldn't return to their families. So it all boils down to the fact that Nixon was given this privilege only because he was a former president and therefore was considered to be above the law. but nobody, not even a former president is above the law. I feel that the draft dodgers should be given unconditional amnesty without a doubt.