HunterG- unless you have proof that Kerry did not serve in Vietnam, you wasted your time with your "we" post.
No, I didn't waste my time, rather, you missed the point. Mr. Kerry gave his testimony before the Senate of the United States. This wasn't two guys arguing in a bar. Testimony before the Senate by a United States Naval officer - no matter how disgruntled he may have been - is an august and solemn event that is not to be taken lightly.
Mr. Kerry opened his remarks with his delightful little anecdote about some 150 odd persons that he claims were veterans of the Viet Nam war. He says that many of them were also decorated - by this he implys that they are of good character - and that they had first hand knowledge of tragic
criminal events. To this day, I have seen no evidence of the bona fides of these so-called "Winter Soldiers". I have seen President Bush's dental records, I have seen President Bush's NG pay chits, but somehow, even the inimitable Jayson Blair (formerly of the New York Times) hasn't brought forth these "Winter Soldiers" to settle this hash once and for all.
I wonder why that is? Hmmm... But I digress.
He then commences into a litany of declaratory sentences that no matter how one slices, dices, shreds, or as you put it, spins them, all add up to him declaring that these events occured "day to day" and "with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command." Now, Jonesy9, I'll admit that since I have actually served in the U.S.N., I do have a leg up on you on this next part, but I believe in my heart that you have what it takes to follow along, so here goes: Mr. Kerry with page after page of declaratory sentences - not modified with words like "they saw" or "he said" or my Bo'suns mate's third cousin's stepbrother said" - made accusations of what constitute war crimes (by any definition) that were rife, rampant, heinous, and
as he said, events that occurred on a "day to day" basis. And all of these things he claims to have occured "with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."
In his declaration, he is rather strident, and by all accounts, completely unrepentent. Which is as it should be,
provided that upon request, he can substaintiate his accusations. That is how we do things in this country. Many of us who where blessed enough to have had the honor of serving our beloved country in uniform have been defamed by Senator (then Lt. j.g.) Kerry and his words. We now demand that he substantiate his wild rhetoric. Failing that, his status as a liar will remain.
Oh, and FYI (just so you know) a DVD Director's Cut of Oliver Stone's "Platoon" (where seemingly a lot of mopes in this country derive their knowlege of history) will not stand as Mr. Kerry's evidence.
Are only vets who committed atrocities allowed to talk of them? Was Kerry not a vet?
They are welcome to talk. They may even lie if they so wish. What they aren't allowed to do is hide behind the idea that what they say is something that they heard from another soldier/sailor/airman/Marine, and then lapse into 1st person plural and intimate that they had firsthand knowlege of a war crime.
Should they make that mistake, they should be fully aware that honor demands that they be called on it. And (this is the best part) if they really are telling the truth, and they did have firsthand knowlege of said crimes, and there is no evidence that the accuser made any effort to rectify said crimes, they are considered to be derelict in their duty. The "I was just a good Nazi following orders" defense being no defense at all.
