Kerry 1971 testimony on C-Span

[WillyJ]

. . right now.


For anyone who thinks it's a condemnation of his fellow soldiers take a look. . it's the congressional testimony from 1971 all the right-wing commentators are condeming him for. .


I have my problems with John Kerry the politician, but he was gutsy, eloquent, and captured the essence of the horror of what our kids went through for the politicians "pride". ..


Anything he did to facilitate getting us out of that nightmare. . well, God Bless him. .

 

[jennyanydots]

I've seen portions of it on Meet the Press. some of what Kerry said back then sounds a bit harsh now...but although he now tones down the rhetoric he doesn't back away from what he said in '71.

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by WillyJ
. . right now.


For anyone who thinks it's a condemnation of his fellow soldiers take a look. . it's the congressional testimony from 1971 all the right-wing commentators are condeming him for. .


I have my problems with John Kerry the politician, but he was gutsy, eloquent, and captured the essence of the horror of what our kids went through for the politicians "pride". ..


Anything he did to facilitate getting us out of that nightmare. . well, God Bless him. .

I'm watching it too, again.

Willy, I know you're sincere in your reaction to listening to the speech. But you must realize that not everyone will see it that way. Others, with just as much right to their opinions as you have to yours, will have a very different reaction.

And I have to assume that's why John Kerry has not highlighted anything about this chapter in his life during the campaign.

I'd wager to guess that many, many voters in this country knew nothing about this part of John Kerry's life until recently.

 

[WillyJ]

I've read the entire transcripts before JennyD. and have seen the clips too. . but this is the first time I've actually seen the entire testimony. .



Out of context, some are harsh, but I dare anyone to watch the entire testimony and then say he was attacking his fellow soldiers. .


He should play this once a week instead of the ads they've been running., . and it should listen to it himself and apply what he said to Iraq. .

 

[WillyJ]

Was he attacking his fellow soldiers, Bet?

Or was he attacking Johnson, Nixon, and the other pols who put he and his fellow soldiers in the position they were in there?

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by WillyJ
Was he attacking his fellow soldiers, Bet?

Or was he attacking Johnson, Nixon, and the other pols who put he and his fellow soldiers in the position they were in there?

Willy, you've made it quite clear you think Iraq is another "Vietnam". And I know there's a segment of the voters that also feel this way.

I disagree with you, and obviously the Bush Administration disagrees with you. And I think a majority of the voters disagree with you.

We'll find out in November.

As for your question, I think he falsely protrayed the unfortunate and very sad realities of war in an attempt to end the war as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences. He slandered his fellow soldiers. He gave the North Vietnamese a powerful propaganda tool to use against the U.S. and the POW's.

And I agree he's attacking the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

He should play this once a week instead of the ads they've been running., . and it should listen to it himself and apply what he said to Iraq. .

I'm not quite sure of your meaning here? Kerry should play it and listen to it? Or he should play it as an ad for the voters?

 

[DawnCt1]

Originally posted by bsnyder
As for your question, I think he falsely protrayed the unfortunate and very sad realities of war in an attempt to end the war as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences. He slandered his fellow soldiers. He gave the North Vietnamese a powerful propaganda tool to use against the U.S. and the POW's.

When DH was in Viet Nam, they often took great risks to themselves to avoid civilian casualties. What Kerry said was a stab at the heart of every soldier there.

 

[WillyJ]

Bet,

The most graphic parts of his testimony were in the beginning where he makes it very clear he was relaying to Congress what other vets had described in an earlier forum. . . they were not his descriptions, and to my knowledge no vet who spoke at the Detroit forum has come forward to say Kerry misrepresented what they said. . I really don't understand how this can be seen as slander?

Did every one who served in Vietnam see those kind of atrocities or participate in them? Of course not; and he doesn't make that claim either. .

Rahter he describes what some vets claimed to have seen/done and then he makes an impassioned defense of all vets and lays the responsibilty of what happened and was happening there at the feet of the pols of both parties. . . I mean, he even defends Calley for goodness sakes!


As for what I meant about Kerry's campaign showing the testimony. .. perhaps "once a week" was a bit dramatic. .LOL!! . . but I do think they should find a way to make it available to everyone who has heard about this testimony, let them watch it, and make up their own minds.

I had a typo is the second part so I can see why it was confusing; but I also think Kerry himself should watch it again and take a hard look at the similarities between the situation in "Nam and those in Iraq and ask himself why his stated opinons on Iraq are more like those pols he was criticizing then what he was saying then,, ,

Personally I don't care what public opinon is; I've always made up my own mind based on what I see as the available facts on any given issue,. . and to paraphrase Mr. Kerry, I'd ask him"

"What do you tell the family of the last American to die in Bagdad?"

 

[VampHeartless]

I've watched his testimony before...in fact, I remember seeing it for the first time, and thinking...wow...that guys gonna be president someday. So, that would be so cool if I was right!!

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by WillyJ


"What do you tell the family of the last American to die in Baghdad?"

This is a red herring type of question. It goes under the assumption that what's happening in Iraq is wrong and begs for an excuse.

But since you asked, I would tell them I'm deeply sorry for your loss (as with all of the losses) but extremely grateful for the courage and sacrifice your (son/daughter/husband/wife) displayed to help protect our country and perform a noble cause in helping with the liberation of 25 million people and allowing them a chance to be self governing.


What would you say?

 

[jjskribs]

DawnCt1,

My husband also served in Vietnam and in no way feels " what John Kerry said was a stab at the heart of every soldier there." Please refrain from those blanket kinds of statements.

I honestly don't care if John Kerry was in Vietnam for 4 hours. The fact that he put his backside on an airplane to fly to that jungle, knowing that his flight home could be in a body bag tells me all I need to know about his strength of character and bravery.

I lived through the Vietnam war as a college student in the early 70's. My rommate lost her brother and her fiancee in the same helicopter crash. I lived with her pain. The brother of my friend down the hall was a P.O.W. I lived with her pain. For those of you who are younger, it's hard to imagine what those times were like. We lived with the reality of that war every day and we saw how it split our country.

I had no problem with anyone who did not want to serve in Vietnam and I had great respect for those who did... but.... I abhorred the "chicken hawks". They were everywhere. Those who thought the war was great and justifiable AS LONG AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO.

I find in life that often times those who constantly have to tell how "macho" they are, usually aren't. George Bush falls into that category. He can definitely "talk the talk" but when his chance came to "walk the walk" WHERE WAS HE? Did he ever worry about being sent home in a body bag or losing an arm or leg? Did he ever have to look at the pain in his parent's eyes wondering if they would ever see their son again?

Those men were the real heroes. How DARE he question their courage and integrity.

Sorry for the long post but Vietnam has alway been an emotional subject for me as it is for many who lived through those troubled times and hoped we would never see them again.

 

[Saffron]

jjskribs - your post made me cry. I never lost anyone to that war, and I can't imagine what it would have been like, but I looked into my mother's eyes, and my father's eyes, and my aunt's eyes, and saw those same emotions you described, every day for what seemed like an eternity.

I also have the same exact feelings about the war and those years.