Non-Fiction

This morning I thought I made a huge mistake on this thread, but now, tonight, I realize my main point was actually correct.

There is a post on this thread I wrote quoting a Kirkus review regarding Patteron's claim in his memoir that he left graduate school when
he did because if he stayed he would be subject to the Vietnam draft.

Originally I thought: that claim of Patterson's is false, because those in school avoided the draft; those not were subject to the draft.
So, I concluded: the draft is NOT the reason he left graduate school.

This morning I learned men in graduate school did become subject o the draft.

But tonight I learned: that was due to a rule change in 1971.

Thus, if you were an eligible age male in graduate school -- or not in graduate school - after that 1971 draf rule change, you were subject to the draft (barring any other reason for your deferral).

And that is really the main point: he still did not avoid the draft by leaving graduate school when he did. Being out of graduate school, and leaving graduate school: he was STILL subject to the draft.

So, again, I conclude, correctly: the draft is NOT the reason he left graduate school.

I was correct on that point.

And, I think I know the real reason why he left graduate school when he did.(Because again: it had nothing to do with the draft.)

I will post a little more about this in another post after this one.