It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

[kraigWY]

Read the fine print at the bottom of the link.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.</div></div>

Link

Guess we're some kind of freaks.

 

[Veer_G]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

I think they're still confused by the Jungian thing, Kraig.

 

[ArmaHeavy]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

So is Ohio State for or against Vietnam veterans attending, <span style="text-decoration: underline">OR</span> is there some other discriminating messages coming from other colleges, that would suggest discrimination against Vietnam-era veterans, and Ohio State is taking the high road on this?

The more I read it, it sounds like the atypical legalese that is required on everything.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

My point is why do Vietnam Vets singled out?

What about other vets? Why the special classification?

 

[Veer_G]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My point is why do Vietnam Vets singled out?

What about other vets? Why the special classification? </div></div>

I'd like to think that they must have lifted it off of some boiler plate copy from something else, but then that wouldn't explain why it was used in the first place, either. It seems pretty damned clumsy of them. Why not ask them?

 

[cav has been]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Nahh, they think the lime will react with the Agent Orange and make V V's glow in the dark, scare students and faculty, and cause said Vets to over load local VA offices and pester politicians with questions they would feel uncomfortable answering..... or not.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

I'm pretty sure that stuff bothers non-VV's more than it bothers us.

Historically, discrimination has been a tool used to marginalize us Viet Vets, then to elevate us. Either situation gives us a special status we'd probably all just as happily forego. Neither situation bears up under scrutiny. Our pasts do make us different, but no more so than have the pasts of many other Vets from many other wars throughout our history.

We see stereotypes portraying us as damaged goods, when the truer picture is of citizen soldiers returning to civilian life with a medley of experiences which are common to us and uncommon to the rest.

The stereotypes highlight the bad, which is rare, and ignore the good, which is myriad.

We <span style="font-style: italic">are</span> special.

We have polished skills, appropriate to dealing with adversity, which our fellow civilians can only begin to ponder.

We've seen things go from good to bad to worse, and can spot those trends in their early stages. Unfortunatey, the bad stereotypical images also innnoculate those who surround us with skepticism when we attempt to offer our help as those very trends appear.

So Viet Vets are doubly damned, first by what we've been through, and then again when we try to apply our unique wisdom to the predicaments our detractors daily concoct through their own ignorance and obstinacy.

I'd be outraged, except it's not just us, not just our association with that war. These days more than Vietnam Veteran status separates us from the greater masses. The things that marginalize us go far further than just Vietnam. In some ways, maybe we should cherish our differences.

We will take our differences to our graves. We will never be alone in that. Our society thrives on defining differences. Good? Bad? Life is too short to derive such answers.

But resentment has no place in our situation. Such only serves as a distraction. The real world is challenge enough without us adding to our own allotted portions.

There are days when I consider the splintering of our society as if it were a deliberate attempt to divide and conquer that society. I then try to convince myself that's just plain wrong and simply a paranoid delusion; but honestly, nowadays; my heart's just not really in it...

That splintering dates from that same time frame, but Vietnam was never the whole picture.

Greg

 

[Guest]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

My guess would be someone from Kent State is still looking for payback, an this is the only way they feel comfortable doing it. They may be still thinking about the day their actions, caused others to be killed.

Liberals------------>no such thing, it's their way or nothing.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Interesting how the fascists always manage to appropriate the word 'Freedom'.

 

[Switchblade]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Shiiiiiiieeeet, you guys need to get your butts back to school so guys like me look younger! In all actuality, many colleges and state universities are experiencing a heavy surge of RVN vets as well as other vets. Our numbers are over 35% of the entire student population...35% Whodathought???

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

I would like to know what the #$%# they mean by that. It is rare that I hear news about a university that I am pleased with.

 

[RJW]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Kraig,
That is a very intereting notation at the bottom of the bulletin. I have emailed Keith Smith who is noted and have asked him for an explanation of why Vietnam Vets were specifically noticed. Will post his answer.

 

[bohem]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Perhaps it doesn't have anything to do with being a Vet but instead it's a politically correct way of referencing the draft dodgers?

 

[kraigWY]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

I guess it doesn't really matter, its just that notation makes it look like being a Vietnam Vet makes us handicapped or something.

Well............thats not true, it does matter to me, we arn't any different then any other vet.

 

[RJW]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

And it matters to me.

 

[RJW]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Answer from OSU. Vietnam Vets are a protected class.

Dear Mr. Wessler,

Thank you for contacting me regarding why Vietnam Veterans are referenced in the non-discrimination statement on the bottom of one of OSU Extension's Bulletins. As a recipient of federal funds OSU Extension is required to make clear that we do not discriminate based on protected class status. In 1974 a statute titled the "Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act", which made Vietnam Era Veterans a protected class, was enacted. Not knowing the date of the bulletin you were reading, I suspect this is why Vietnam Era Veterans were included. In 1994, the "Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act" included all Veterans, which is what the most current statement reflects. In conclusion, the reference to Vietnam Era Veterans is a protection against discrimination in employment and program participation and has been extended to all Veterans regardless of the era of service.

If you are interested in learning more you can review the Acts referenced above at the following web sites http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-vevraa.htm and http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-userra.htm


I hope this information addresses your concerns.

Sincerely,

Keith L. Smith
Associate Vice President, Agricultural Administration;
Associate Dean FAES; Director, Ohio State University Extension
and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership

 

[Switchblade]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

So in essence, ALL VETS are a protected class now. Now let's see if we can get that same protection for our smaller sister and brother class of Widowed spouses.

 

[RJW]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

No Switch, only Vietnam Era vets are a protected class per the passed Act.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

Not trying to steer off topic, but not all veterans are veterans when it comes to jobs. I was told by VA when asking about trying to claim/use veteran's preference on an application. If you served peace time between end of Vietnam War and Desert Storm, you're SOL.

Which means if you spent Vietnam era in Germany, you get preference. If you just missed being blown up in Beirut, Grenada, Panama, or anywhere else before Desert Storm, no go. There may be an exception if you received a particular commendation.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My point is why do Vietnam Vets singled out?
</div></div>

As others have pointed out, probably just some outdated legalese.

A more interesting question (to me at least) would be:

Why do you consider anyone that is a woman or of another nationality, race, skin color, religion, etc to be a freak?

 

[okrebel92]

Re: It ain't over for Vietnam Vets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fngmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Which means if you spent Vietnam era in Germany, you get preference. If you just missed being blown up in Beirut, Grenada, Panama, or anywhere else before Desert Storm, no go. There may be an exception if you received a particular commendation. </div></div>

Well thats pretty fucked up. I didn't know that