Wrong on all accounts. River man freely confessed, I didn’t accuse him of anything.
As for not serving in the military this is the reason I chose not to; the handing over of my personal responsibility to someone else, anyone else, who may be less moral, less compassionate, less decisive, less efficient, less intelligent, less lethal, and just following orders, who might order me to kill someone I don’t know specifically deserves killing. Maybe the guy is just defending his family and farm from invading armies, and nothing more. If he comes to LaPine with evil intent then it’s a different matter.
I would not make a good obedient soldier nor improve the military were I to join. I was not drafted so I escaped making the choice between prison and Canada.
I realize the necessity to have the most effective military in the world and 11 years of my Federal employment was in the US Army Corps of Engineers. I worked in the printing and photography department, had top secret clearance, proof read and printed some eye opening stuff nobody will ever hear about.
Some good, some bad.