Am I Cowardly?

In The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien was drafted in the war. This made me think of what I would do if I was a 19 year old in 1970. I think I would just run, the pressure and fear would be too much for me to handle. Tim O'Brien mentions the pressure and stress he experienced when he initially got the letter. It's basically a letter leading you to my your death. So many American soldiers died in this war. On the other hand, there is also the paranoia of being caught, so you there's no way you wouldn't be scared. O'Brien talks about how he is embarrassed because he is leaving his family. If it was me, I would tell my family the minute I got the letter and then they could meet me in Canada. In this story, O'Brien has trouble crossing into Canada, he thinks about it too much, he was scared of it in a way. The boarder of Canada would mean something to me, it would symbolize my peace. I wouldn't have to worry about war. Some may think that this makes you a coward. When you run away to Canada you are standing up to the government in a sense. It shows that you are not willing to take part in the war. Fleeing to Canada doesn't make you a coward, it makes you look brave.