The Art of Evasion

Talmanson raced up the staircase of the Unitarian-Universalist church in hopes of declaring “sanctuary” from the pursuant police force riding his heels. After failing to win a Supreme Court case a week earlier, the fugitive was attempting to utilize the medieval tradition as a last-ditch effort to avoid the military draft (Hoffman, 1968). This extreme case of draft evasion tactics represented a significant portion of youth in America during the disputable Vietnam War era. The counter-culture movement and its anti-authoritarianism coupled with the fresh-water economist’s neo-liberal individualism, catalyzed by the unclear purpose of the costly war in Vietnam, all proved a distinct concoction of sincere draft evasion in various forms.

Thomas Lynn O’Dell was raised in the very small town of LaGrange, Indiana. Surrounded by the extremely conservative Amish communities, LaGrange filled the role of the proto-typical naïve 1950’s small town. Tom and his twin brother Bill were experts in exploiting the gullibility of the community as they became infamous for their insidious pranks. Unofficially law-breakers, the twins filled the role as modest “delinquents”. By the time their eighteenth birthday arrived the conflict in Vietnam had escalated to all-out war. The youngsters faced inevitable conscription, since those deemed “delinquents” were typically the highest priority to be inducted (Card & Thomas, 2000). Musicians at heart and by trade, the boys were already actively involved in a band. “I was too busy to listen to the news and really form any sort of opinion on the war (O'dell, 2011)” categorized many of the peers of Tom and Bill. Tom also remembers his father commenting on the media’s representation of the war being very unfavorable. Grotesque pictures of victims of the war were shown on the nightly news, this indirectly affected Tom’s perception of the war. Even though Tom never claimed to have been “against the war” he never felt there was a clear “reason” for its inception and continuation. Rationales ranging from mineral rights, to human rights, to “stopping communism” were discussed amongst his friends and relatives. One acquaintance of Tom even suggested that President Lyndon Johnson’s ties with a military contracted company had something to do with it. Whatever the reason for the war, it was clear; patriotism would be short-lived amongst the common citizen. Conscription ended up being a heavy tax laid on individual to push forward the political machinations of the bureaucracy. After all, liberals of the time saw military service as obligatory pay-back for the plethora of welfare programs being offered by the federal government (Cowen, 2006). This attitude proved unrealistic in its implementation. Tom described friends who went out to war in Vietnam and came back very different, and in some cases “crazy”. Forcing young under-trained sheep at gun-point to slaughter human beings from the side of a helicopter promulgated unfortunate outcomes in the lives of those involved. These once innocent minds were recklessly engaged in aggressive behavior for the majority of their lives. Tom recollected plenty of individuals where this proved true. These experiences formulated underlying, perhaps subconscious, motivations that Tom relied on to avoid his own call to arms.

The first call for induction came when he was eighteen years old. Tom’s shoulder length hair enjoyed the cool breeze from the passenger windows of the bus heading to Indianapolis. The mixed emotions of those three long hours penetrate his memory. Arriving at the conscription office, each individual was inspected meticulously by a medical doctor. Tom watched as his twin brother was labeled “4 F”. Bill had failed the eye exams. Those light blue eyes that wore thick-framed glasses were unfit for service. Tom wondered if he would be drafted alone. After narrowly passing the eye exam, all that remained was routine measurements of height, weight and build. “1 Y” declared the officer, “3 lbs under” in a tone that meant to inflict disappointment. “It didn’t though” Tom remembers. He was then instructed to return home and eat as much as he could for two weeks in preparation to be re-evaluated. “I lived off coffee and cigarettes for two weeks, never remember being so hungry in all my life”. He escaped induction. For the next two to three years Tom was alerted in advance of re-evaluation, and for those two weeks prior to the physical examination his diet was “coffee and cigarettes”.

Avoiding the draft took many forms during the Vietnam War. Tom recalled a friend who claimed he was a homosexual in order to slip past conscription. The officer questioned “have you had any homosexual relations recently?”. “Of course” Tom overheard him say, surprised by the news from a man who had girls attached to him constantly. Tom also remembered reading news articles that people broke their own limbs to evade the draft, others fled to Canada. Another unintentional effect of the draft was increased college enrollment. A comprehensive study conducted by David Card of the University of California at Berkeley “suggest[s] that draft avoidance raised college attendance rates by 4-6 percentage points in the late 1960’s, and raised the fraction of men born in the mid 1940’s with a college degree by up to 2 percentage points.” This was due to the fact that men who were in college could obtain deferments that delayed their eligibility for induction. 

The attitude that is associated with draft evasion during Vietnam is starkly contrasted to that of overwhelming volunteerism during World War II. The draft existed in both cases, but when the causes, purposes, and goals of the war were made clear and reinforced to the public, the paradigms produced were proportionally more positive in terms of accepting the high cost of war. The Vietnam fiasco served as a rallying point for leading a charge against conscription. Milton Friedmen played a fundamental role in ending the process. In a debate that took place on a college campus, Friedman described how the audience was, at first, supportive of his collectivist opponent “up until point 11…when the expression of my opposition to the draft brought ardent applause and lost him the audience and the debate (Cowen, 2006).” It was this common ground shared by modern neoliberal capitalists and rebellious open-minded youth that fundamentally changed the way military service was perceived. Soldiers who willingly pursue war now occupy the turrets. Conscription is constricted, and perhaps its end is what incentivized the rapid increase in military technology. Fewer soldiers are needed to win wars when robots, machines, and computers are implemented. The worth of a soul is great, and war has a tendency to forget this sublime truth. Tom O’Dell never had to kill a man “and that’s the way I wanted it”.

Darwin's liberation of mankind

I'm taking evolution this semester and I must admit that I like it so far. I was never taught anything about the theory in high school  and upon learning some it's principles it's ridiculous to think I didn't. Obviously, the focal point of evolution is Charles Darwin.  He was the originator of some of the most fundamental principles behind the theory of evolution of species. It's evident he reigns as a god in the scientific realm, standing toe to toe with the likes of Einstein and Newton. It's difficult for me to explain the grand theory he developed in a blog post, but I'm sure most of you reading this are probably familiar with his theory. His name is associated with "good' and "bad" alike and it's interesting to see the debate surrounding his theory that has existed since he first mentioned it.  Before Darwin science never really had a head-on attack for basic christian beliefs concerning the fundamental plan of salvation. Or so it seems. Studying a portion of Darwin's life and mission has taught me a few things. First, he never really was interested in destroying God's plan. Second, he was merely only interested in explaining the world around him in detail for generations to come. It's unfair for anyone to perceive him as some "monster" influenced by the ol' devil himself. I counter that argument by pointing out the fruits his work has produced. The Origin of species has had a revolutionary effect on modern science, catapulting it into a new realm. If you don't believe me, do your homework. The fundamental logic underneath Darwinism has created a new set of rules never before understood. It's liberating power has swept through the close-minded dogmatic Neanderthalic theologies and philosophies once dominating the world.   I applaud him for his courage to stand against such odds. His life is a part of the tapestry symbolizing the rapid strides mankind made during that 19th century. It's awe-inspiring to realize how much happened in such a short time.

How is understanding Darwin and the theory of evolution liberating? Let me explain. Liberty is nothing more than a collection of environmental opportunities in which to practice your innate freedom to choose. Freedom is essentially your choice on how you decide to perceive reality. Your freedom to choose begins with your attitude about your circumstances. Liberty stems from that perception and gives one the the ability to see and then choose between multiple options from the environment. Everyone of all times and all places has had equal freedom. Everyone has had the freedom to see the world in a certain way, to practice hope, faith and charity, despite limited liberty. Today we live in a world of tremendous liberty - options to choose from. The theory that Darwin produced is part of that liberty.  His theory exists as a product of using freedom to perceive reality in a new way. As we study both the origin of species and other sources of knowledge pertaining to our beginning we are given multiple opportunities to practice our God-given intellectual capacities. It is the very purpose of this life. To be given facts, to discern those facts from falsehoods, to gain light and truth and then to either live according to that light and truth or reject it.  How then, can we truly believe and have Faith in God's plan of salvation without being aware of other propositions of the origin of humankind? But, here's the kicker, science NEVER tries to give purpose or direction to life. It only seeks to explain it. Therefore, studying evolution will not lead you to become an atheist, but perhaps, a deeper christian. A quote from Kenneth Miller, a biologist who happens to be deeply religious:

"A nonbeliever, of course, puts his or her trust in science and finds no value in faith. And I certainly agree that science allows believer and nonbeliever alike to investigate the natural world through a common lens of observation, experiment and theory. The ability of science to transcend cultural, political, and even religious differences is part of its genius, part of its value as a way of knowing. What science cannot do is assign either meaning or purpose to the world it explores. This leads some to conclude that the world as seen by scientists is devoid of meaning and absent of purpose. It is not. What it does mean, I would suggest, is that our human tendency to assign meaning and value must transcend science and, ultimately, must come from outside in."

Man's self-awareness and assumption of purpose is evidence of a connection to a supreme being. He is real. He lives. He loves us. He formed this great planet, once devoid of life and matter.  He has provided a way for us to return to him, use it.  Live according to the light you have, or it will condemn you. God and Darwin with both confirm this. The most physically fit will survive this harsh planet and only the most spiritually fortuitous earn the Glory of God - perfect intelligence coupled with harmonious eternal family relationships.  You absolutely MUST follow what you know to be true or you cannot progress, you cannot succeed. You will only flounder while the population of man passes you by. Take hold of your destiny, live life to its fullest, and pursue the desires of your heart passionately. Don't waste life away waiting for someone to take your hand. You must act. You must react. You must grow. You must learn. You must develop. You must...evolve.