John Kerry a True American Hero

[veteran_for_peace]

I was sitting there with my wife and three daughters last night and we watched John Kerry's testimony before the US Sentate. We listened as he talked about how the US has adbandoned it Veterans. I was struck by how misinformed people where about his testimony. It made my respect for him grow. My daughter who is 11 years old asked me if I had every been to war and I told her yes I had. I will never forget the look in my daughters eyes as I explained how I had seen the impact of war on poor people. To see the eyes of small children as they waited to get food. The smell of death and the emptiness that I felt inside. John Kerry understands that feeling. He knows that war changes a person. George Bush is not capable of understanding this and that is why I cannot and will not vote for that coward.

[demnan]

1. Good Post

and welcome.

In my opinion Kerry did two things that took a lot of courage. One, he volunteered for combat when he could have easily gotten a cushy position stateside.

and secondly, he came back and spoke what his conscience felt about the Vietnam war.

Those two things were equally heroic. Only a person who feels the need to serve his country would do that. I admire anyone who did one or the other, but for doing both I admire Kerry more.

[b06jgm]

2. All I know is I'm sick of Vietnam already and I wasn't even born

yet when it was over. Why can't they both focus on the upcoming issues and just call a truce on all this 'Nam shit.

[joefree1]

5. Not me

In the long term this "Nam" shit will be all over the AWOL smirk.

Bring it on.

[Rainbowreflect]

7. Not understanding what really happened will only make us

repeat the same mistakes over & over again. Vietnam was all about our leaders lying to us & sending mostly poor & minorities to fight & die. Sound familiar?

[veteran_for_peace]

8. Because this election is about leadership

When I went through military leadership training I was taught that you should never ask someone do something that you yourself are not willing to do. This is why John Kerry using is his military leadership to demonstrate the difference. He volunteered to go to war and serve his country. George Bush didn't. He hid behind the cloak of the Texas National Guard. I find it ironic that it is the National Guard who now bears the burden of Iraq.

[desi]

9. An even earlier, uglier war still rears its ugly head at times

...in your neck of the woods. And NONE of us was "even born" then.

(edited to include uglier..since that "civil" war pitted brother vs brother.)

[ochazuke]

11. Welcome, newcomers

I understand the frustrations many feel about hearing all this stuff about Vietnam, and please note that Kerry is talking about domestic issues a lot lately, though the media don't like to focus on it.

But I would like to see the Kerry campaign push their side of the swift boat story for the following reasons:

1. Kerry looks tough (appeals to the reptilian brain that Republicans have a lock on.)

2. The more coverage the "smear boat" vets get, the more the true Truth comes out: i.e. it's a web of lies & it's a Bush-operation, not an independent group of concerned citizens.

3. The backlash against Bush might be so bad that in the future, smear campaigns will not receive the enthusiasm that they have heretofore.

For me personally, the controversy has led me to find out a lot of stuff about Kerry and his heroic acts -- both in 'Nam and after his return -- that I didn't know before. And it has increased my admiration of him considerably.

[joefree1]

3. Bravo

Over the long term it's personal testimony like yours that will sink the short gain lies of the rethuglicans.


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[kwolf68]

4. AMEN

Kerry's leadership has been inspirational.

I will absolutely lose all hope if Bush is elected in November.

[seabeyond]

6. exactly, should be required listening

i am going to challenge my fundie school, to listen to kerry

the two questions i am going to pose,
have you listened?
have you critized?

how could someone who doesnt know what it says, possibly, possibly know what he is saying. this is a duh for me, and this is a school. what is the responsibility here.

ergo, my anger
told my fundie friend last nite, not gonna call myself christian anymore,.....not right now. take me off my christ conscious path. think preacher is gonna get it.

[A_Possum]

12. excellent idea!

It should be a given that you can't critique something you haven't heard in its entirety.

**********

Kerry, the Congressional Record, 1971 (Q and A session after speech):

"Mr. Kerry: Well, Senator, frankly it does not appeal to me if American men have to continue to die when they don't have to, particularly when it seems the Government of this country is more concerned with the legality of where men sleep than it is with the legality of where they drop bombs. (Applause.)...

...But at the present moment that is not going to happen, so we are talking about men continuing to die for nothing and I think there is a tremendous moral question here which the Congress of the United States is ignoring...

...But I think if we can talk in this legislative body about filibustering for porkbarrel programs, then we should start now to talk about filibustering for the saving of lives and of our country. (Applause.)

And this, Mr. Chairman, is what we are trying to convey."

[JohnKleeb]

10. He most certainly is

He's one of the bravest men I have ever heard of. Real inspiration, I hope that he can do for me as president what JFK did for him, but he's already done that, and I think I could see myself if I felt I had to, that is have Kerry as my commander in chief and enlist in a military branch, I probably wont but I would be honored to have him as my commander in chief because Kerry is a man who understands what the everyday soldier, sailor, airman goes through, he's a brave guy, I really am glad he's the nominee because he just amazes me every time I learn something new.