Never Forget -- John Kerry on the War Dead

[beachmom]

Today John Kerry posted a DailyKos diary about the Iraq War funding vote (he voted no). There are now well over 700 comments on the diary, a lot of it very angry, even aiming vitriol at Senator Kerry himself. Senator Kerry took the time to respond to some of the angry posts with some thoughtful answers related to strategy, what has happened, and what needs to happen going forward. But apart from the politics, he left another comment later in the day (like a whisper) which got to the heart of the matter -- fallen soldiers. Take a look at this poignant exchange between someone who had lost friends to the Iraq War and Kerry's response. I think this moment captures best what this debate is really about:

Thank you (7+ / 0-)

The only reason that people get so upset, is that troops and innocents are dying in the time it takes to get things done. That fact just never goes away.

It's always in the back of our heads, always. If you are like me and know people who lost their lives in Iraq, and I have no doubt you do sir, then you know that the pain never goes away - and the delays in ending the war just create more dead bodies and more people with a hole in their heart, where their friends' life used to be.

Cheers, keep fighting!

by cycloptichorn on Thu May 24, 2007 at 09:19:38 AM PDT

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Never forget (14+ / 0-)

Never out of my thoughts, and never will be. It hurts like hell to go to some of the funerals I’ve been to, more and more as this war goes on. Those faces at Walter Reed never leave your thoughts either. You bet this is personal. I've seen what happens in war; I know what it's like, I’ve seen my friends wear it for the rest of their lives, and I have friends I loved who never got to grow old the way I did.. It's exactly for that reason that I fight for this.

by John Kerry on Thu May 24, 2007 at 02:12:06 PM PDT

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[MadMaddie]

1. What a different world we would live in if Kerry would have

been nominated President....

[beachmom]

2. Sometimes it hurts too much to contemplate what we have lost.

These comments by Senator Kerry really got to me today.

[MadMaddie]

3. It does hurt...and to add salt to the wound ....We have a

Demcratic led Congress who is too afraid of the pundits, talking heads and *.....We gave them a mandate and they have chosen not to listen...

[karynnj]

4. It made me immediately think of those photos of a funeral

that He and Senator Kennedy attended soon after the election loss. The pain was obvious on his face.

[beachmom]

6. Does anyone have that photo, and if so, can they post?

I'm not very good with pictures.

[MH1]

7. JK at Gavriel funeral

Story here:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/dimitrios-gavriel.htm

[karynnj]

15. The emotions are so strong in this photo - this is the pain Bush caused

[LittleClarkie]

13. Do you mean this one?

[karynnj]

14. Yes - that whole set

The one MH1 posted was from the same funeral.
Thank you.

[beachmom]

17. Thanks, Little Clarkie and MH1 for posting the pictures

Let me look for the diary that went along with those pictures from way back when. What I do remember was this was, I think, December 2004, where I can imagine JK still being very raw from the electoral loss.

What could have been -- sigh.

[beachmom]

18. Okay, I found the diary. Oh my God, this one will get to people:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/2/213925/009

There were over 500 comments, and showed the raw emotions from that time. It was posted on 12/2/04, and stayed on the Rec List for FOUR days.

Check it out, if you can take it. Beautiful stuff was written, and a lot of tears.

[mloutre]

19. thanks for the linky, beachmom, poignant though it was to re-read it again now.

And I know that GV was thinking of that moment among others when she made this thoroughly excellent Memorial Day video, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5DKlzaiExs

[MH1]

5. You are so right.

What a different world.

:cry:

[IndyOp]

8. K&R for the reminder... (n/t)

[politicasista]

9. K&R

:kick:

[Democrafty]

10. K & R n/t

[hibiscus]

11. K & R n/t

[sandnsea]

12. Wish America wasn't blind

Blinded by studity and lies, as we continue to be when a stupid View feud is more important than war funding.

[rox63]

16. K&R for our fallen soldiers

:cry: :patriot: