Truth to Power

Boortz as draft dodger

Those TTP readers in Atlanta most likely have suffered thru at least some of WSB radio’s Neal Boortz blather over the years, he’s one of our cities largest media draws. He’s also a neo-con in “libertarian” clothing, a loudmouth who carries George Bush’s water on a daily basis, and derides the anti-war movement as being made up solely of “American-hating Communists”. Well, Creative Loafing writer John Sugg drops this into the debate:

Boortz would like you to think that he would have been more than willing to do his part during the Vietnam War, but he said on the air that the military “wouldn’t have me.” It just isn’t true.

I began tracking his claims of why he didn’t serve in the armed forces about three years ago. My interest was piqued when I heard Boortz alternatively claim he couldn’t get into the military because of (1) vision problems or (2) asthma. Since he has a private pilot’s license, his eyesight can’t be that atrocious. And I heard him talking on the air about plans to go mountain climbing in the Himalayas, not recreation of choice if you have asthma.

The truth came out after Kaner and I sought information from Selective Service on Boortz’s draft classifications. Boortz received a 1-D deferment in 1964. That deferment was given to those enrolled in programs such as ROTC. Trouble is, during most of the time that Boortz had the deferment, he wasn’t in a military program – and therefore was ineligible. In February 1968, he received a new deferment, 3-A, given to those with children or other dependents.

Boortz never ever had a 4-F medical deferment for vision, asthma or anything else.</i>

Listening to Boortz for more than five minutes proves two things to you quick. One, we haven’t descended as far from apes as some believe, and Neal Boortz wouldn’t know the truth if it bit his ample ass. And now, we can put his “Kill ‘em all, let God sort them out” mentality in the frame it deserves:

Chickenhawk.


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