Medicine: Draft-Defying Doctors

More and more young Americans are being rejected for the draft on physical or mental grounds. From 29.9% two years ago, the turndown rate jumped to 46% last July. Is the new generation declining in body and mind?

Hardly. The young have simply faced up to the cutoff in job and graduate-school deferments and instead have mastered the art of beating the draft with medical or psychiatric excuses. Moreover, they are getting crucial help from a growing number of psychiatrists and other physicians who write letters attesting to ailments that disqualify the registrants for military service.

Ethical Issue. A few of the letters...

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