Denying Atrocities - From Vietnam to Fallujah

[0rion]

By FRAN SCHOR

The recent controversy surrounding the "Swift Boat Veterans" ad challenging John Kerry's Vietnam record and his later statements as a leader of Vietnam Veterans against the War (VVAW) have fallen into predictable partisan perspectives. Republicans and their media attack machine still insist that Kerry's medals are suspect and his VVAW activities were treasonous. Kerry and the Democrats, in turn, have found further documentary evidence and eye-witness accounts to support his version of the Vietnam incidents. As far as Kerry's 1971 testimony about US atrocities in Vietnam, Kerry has reiterated that he was just recounting reports from the Winter Soldier Investigations. In addition, he tried earlier to deflect criticism of his VVAW positions by claiming that some of his statements were overzealous and part of the heated rhetoric of the times. In effect, the Bush Administration and Republicans have tried to deny that atrocities took place while Kerry and the Democrats have tried to minimize or marginalize them.

Denying Atrocities - From Vietnam to Fallujah

[jimshoes]

1. Same shit

different decade. Atrocities were committed in Viet Nam and anyone who still doesn't believe it needs to cut back on the kool-aid. We saw it on TV every night back then. It really did happen. We were smothered with body counts on the 6:00 news. The media actually showed pretty graphic footage coming out of Nam. It was gut wrenching to most and it was an epiphany to the chickenhawks of the day, that the next time they get us embroiled in another bloody war, they would keep a lid on all those nasty, messy and untidy pictures from getting played on TV. Cant afford another anti war movement like the last one. Wouldn't be prudent.

[Martin Eden]

2. Kerry spoke the truth

I posted this on another board, in response to criticism of Kerry's testimony about atrocities:

Kerry spoke the truth in 1971 -- atrocities WERE committed by American troops (anyone ever heard of the My Lai Massacre?). The truth can be ugly and painful, but sometimes we have to look it squarely in the face in order to put an end to the cause of that ugliness and pain. I can understand why some veterans were angered by testimony that detailed atrocities committed by American troops, but the primary goal of Kerry and the organization he led -- Vietnam Veterans Against the War -- was to bring our troops home so they would no longer be put in situations where atrocities were committed by and against them. Millions of Southeast Asians and 58,000 Americans were killed, with many times those numbers wounded in body and mind. The Vietnam war was one huge atrocity, and I won't condemn anyone who avoided going there. Kerry volunteered for hazardous duty after serving a full tour aboard a navy ship, served with honor and distinction, and when he came home he devoted his efforts to ending the senseless slaughter. This neither qualifies nor disqualifies him for the presidency, but in my opinion it speaks well of his character as a young man.