Kerry's Real Heroism Came After The War

[Larkspur]

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0830-16.htm

To be fair about it, George W. Bush did what many of us would have done given the chance. He ducked the war in Vietnam and got free flying lessons in the deal.

That he stopped attending Air National Guard meetings is really no big deal. Those meetings are boring and unproductive.

What is troublesome is Bush's hypocrisy. He has no qualms about sending others into battle, but he himself did a sophisticated cut and run when the shooting started.

That is one reason, when it comes to waging a war, John Kerry might make a better president than Bush.

My eldest brother would have been drafted in the late 1960's, but he found out that if he enlisted in the Air Force, he would not be sent to Vietnam, and that is what he did. My other brother got lucky and the Draft had ended before he had to make a decision.

Here's the best paragraph of this editorial
(Kerry's) real heroism revealed itself when he became a front man for Vietnam Veterans Against the War. We Americans don't like to admit it, but we live in a culture that adores war. Our World War II veterans were long ago promoted to sainthood, and our younger men deliriously want the same kind of respect. The nation as a whole sees our success in WWII as "the good old days."

The part I like best about Kerry is when he was the leader of the VVAW, and unfortunately, that is the part Kerry is trying to run from.

[2Design]

1. That is why I think he is a great leader...he was willing to take

the tough road and fight for what was right.....most of us today would not do what he did and have the fbi follow you around an harass you all the time.....He had big gonads to do what he did....and he still does.

Yes my ex husband skip vietnam too.. called in, but petition a hardship case because he was first generation born here....but he signed up for national guard....and by the time his request was turned down he was in the guard....

at the time, I was probably like the repukes... i couldn't understand how anyone could not support our country....boy was I naive.......hindsight sure is easier to see the tragedy of that time...

and in my short time here at DU... I have learned way more than I knew..

[blm]

2. Wrong. Kerry does not run from his VVAW position.

he only said that in retrospect he would have used less inflammatory words. That's it. That's what any older and wiser man would say. He also says that what he said then was completely honest.

Doesn't sound like backing off to me or any other fairminded person.

[Larkspur]

3. What inflammatory language did he use?

I remember seeing Kerry squirm in front of Tim Russert over the question on VVAW on MTP and it was an awful performance by Kerry in front of the camera. Kerry could have chosen to defend his opposition to the Vietnam war but he chose to talk about his hair. To paraphrase Alexander Pope, "Oh vanity, thy name is man!"

[blm]

4. You hate everything about Kerry so you view him with dirtcolored glasses.

Using the wisdom of an older man he merely said he would have toned it down a bit. THAT'S ALL! You want to turn it into something more, go ahead. Typical.

[Larkspur]

5. Can't you at least answer my question?

I thought that personal attacks were not allowed on this board.

What inflammatory remarkds did Kerry say when he was leading VVAW that he claims to recant now?

[blm]

6. He doesn't recant them. He says he would have used different words.

THE END. Nothing more than that.

YOU are the one saying he's recanting. You and those GOPers who think they can use that false characterization against Kerry.

[Larkspur]

7. Then why did he wince big time in front of Russert on MTP

when Russert asked him about those VVAW days? Why was his first response about his hair, and not about his just anger against leaders who send young men to die in wars that should not have been fought?

War is an atrocity itself, but wars like Vietnam and Iraq are worse because they are wars fought for the wrong reasons or based upon delusions of some kind of ideology, whether it be Cold War fears of Communist donimation for Vietnam or fears about threats of state sponsored terrorism for Iraq. To me Kerry's VVAW days are the better part of himself, yet on Russert's show he wanted very much to run away from those memories. You could see it on his face and in his eyes.

[blm]

8. HAHAH. He didn't wince. Your dirtcolored glasses told you he winced.

Because that is the way you see anything that regards Kerry.

[Larkspur]

10. Black painted colored glasses, like the ones you are wearing

make one blind to the truth when it is obvious to those, who are not wearing glasses of any tint. You can deny that episode all you want blm, but kerry trying to run from Russert's question on that episode of his, an episode kerry should embrace with good pride, feeds the bush jackals.

[Capn Sunshine]

9. I worked with John kerry and VVAW

in 19 and 72. I really miss that guy.
Maybe he'll put in an appearance when the handlers aren't looking.