#TBT: President Carter Pardons Vietnam War Draft Dodgers

 

     On January 21st, 1977, his first full day in office, Jimmy Carter began his crusade for peace by pardoning all Vietnam draft evaders. While Gerald Ford had created a board to grant clemency to people who worked public service jobs for two years, Carter's executive order applied to those who had fled to Canada to avoid the draft as well as those who did not work public service; only deserters were not pardoned. However, in total, more than 95% of the hundreds of thousands of people facing trouble for avoiding military service were given a second chance.

     Carter also sought to heal the nation from executive abuse. While President Ford undoubtedly had integrity, he lost public trust when he pardoned Richard Nixon. While Jimmy Carter was unable to address stagflation, he succeeded in restoring public faith in the presidency after Watergate, as even those who disagreed with his policy had no doubt he was a good-natured Southerner who didn't have the capacity to do wrong.