Vets and Kerry

Retired Army officer, Ralph Peters, brings a veteran's perspective to the question of antipathy against Senator Kerry. In a guest column in The New York Post today, he cites the reasons of untrustworthiness "John Kerry doesn't show a trace of integrity. Those constant flip-flops to suit the prevailing political winds are more troubling to military folks than many of the issues themselves.", braggadocio "Bragging is for drunks at the end of the bar, not for real vets.", and his false charges against his band of brothers:

Kerry's lies -- and they were nothing but lies -- about "routine" atrocities committed by average American soldiers and sanctioned by the chain of command were sheer political opportunism. Kerry knew that none of the charges were true.

He'd been there. He may have done some stupid things himself, but atrocities were statistically very rare. Contrary to the myths cherished by film-makers, American troops behaved remarkably well under dreadful conditions.

John Kerry lied. Without remorse. To advance his budding political career. He tarnished the reputation of his comrades when the military was out of vogue.

Now, three decades later, camouflage is back in the fall fashion line-up. Suddenly, Kerry's proud of his service, portraying himself as a war hero.

But it doesn't work that way. You can't trash those who served in front of Congress and the American people, spend your senatorial career voting against our nation's security interests, then expect vets to love you when you abruptly change your tune.

Conservatives have rightly protested that the Kerry campaign attacks the SwiftVets and their funding instead of rebutting the charges.

But they are not GOP stooges. Talk to a Vietnam Vet about Jane Fonda. There is a deep enmity for Americans who betrayed them. It does not go away after an exercise video or a martial convention.

Posted by jk at August 24, 2004 12:20 PM