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Jokesters are absent at local Purple Heart awards ceremony
By E.J. Montini
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0916montini16.html|Arizona New Republic>
Sept. 16, 2004 12:00 AM
Medals were awarded to Iraq war veterans of the Arizona Army National Guard this past Sunday, and from what I've heard, not a single jokester in the audience was sporting a bandage with a little purple heart on it.
The bandages were quite popular at the recent Republican National Convention. Those who wore them said they weren't intended to crudely denigrate Sen. John Kerry's service in Vietnam, where he was wounded, but only meant to poke a little fun.
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News reports of the event indicate that it was both solemn and happy, leading me to believe that those in attendance would have been more than willing to share a laugh. Yet no purple bandages.
Or is the bandage thing the type of joke that's only funny after more than 30 years have passed. Maybe poking fun at someone who risked his neck for his country gets funnier after three decades.
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In the years to come, it's possible that more than one of the award winners will want to continue his or her public service by moving from the military into politics.
Those who run for public office learn quickly that it's a nasty business. Most will tell you that a thick skin and a sense of humor are necessary to get elected.... To that extent, the people wearing the purple heart bandages could have helped the medal winners decide if politics was in their future. For example, soldiers not suited for political life might react to this particular "joke" in a less measured, more physical way. A decision that might lead to the bandages being put to a less humorous, more practical use.
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