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Kerry showed his true feelings about the military By Michael C. Guilmette Jr. Originally published on Nov. 3, 2006, in the Niles Daily Star. First and foremost, I have to say thank God and the American people John Kerry didn’t get elected president.
Compounded by his flimsy excuse that his remarks were a “botched joke” about President Bush and his half-hearted apology on his Web siteWednesday, this blue-blooded silver spoon demonstrated what he thinks of those of us who are or who have served — that we’re all a bunch of uneducated, truck-driving, beer-swilling, NASCAR-watching hicks who can’t make it in the real world. It was bad enough serving when President Clinton was trying to turn the military into a social experiment — and that was during peacetime. I can’t imagine what the military would be like now had Kerry made it into office. Now, Kerry did serve in the military in Vietnam — a fact he made readily clear during the 2004 presidential campaign. But almost as soon as he got out, he began harshly criticizing that very same military, comparing it to the army of Genghis Khan and accusing his fellow soldiers of war crimes — claims that largely have been shown to be false. But his accusations have not stopped there. He has claimed U.S. troops serving in Iraq routinely break into the homes of innocent Iraqis in the dead of night to drag them off. What he must have forgot to mention was the fact it was terror suspects being targeted by U.S. troops. On Thursday, the Associated Press unearthed a 1972 statement from Kerry when he was opposing an all-volunteer military. “I am convinced a volunteer army would be an army of the poor and the black and the brown,” Kerry said in a candidate questionnaire from the peace group Massechusetts Political Action for Peace. He went on to say this type of military would view war crimes as “doing its job.” Odd words from a man who forwarded the notion President Bush was planning to enact a draft if he was re-elected in 2004. Now, I will admit he may have been speaking to his audience in this instance, but considering his recent statements, I must conclude this is a long-held belief of his, and his animosity for the military is now strikingly apparent. It’s interesting to hear the pundits and the media talking-heads trying to move the debate past Kerry’s verbal faux pas, concerned this incident would distract the public from Iraq. However, it is precisely because we are in Iraq that his disdain for the military must be disseminated to as wide of an audience as possible. A man with presidential aspirations who does not trust the institution that keeps this country safe must have his loyalties questioned. What’s more, his assertions are simply absurd. All recruits have at least a high school education, and many have college degrees, which earns them higher initial rank and better choices for military careers. Furthermore, the military strongly encourages its members to continue their education, and some career fields all but require outside study. I met many people while I was in the service who joined the military to get the overly generous education benefits the government provides to veterans. I also knew a few of those who balked at the concept of actually having to fight, but the 1991 Gulf War went a long way towards clearing them out of the ranks. Today’s all-volunteer military, in contrast to Kerry’s 1972 prediction, is likely the most highly-trained, professional and intelligent force ever fielded. They are eagerly fighting the War on Terror, exacting justice for the atrocities of 9/11. The hardships these men and women face makes my peacetime service feel very inadequate. What is very frustrating about this issue is there are many people willing to believe Kerry’s assessment of today’s military, simply because they do not agree with President Bush. This is the same kind of tragedy we saw during the Vietnam era, when thousands of returning troops — many of whom were drafted — were forced to endure the taunts and insults of the ingrates back Stateside. Today, unlike during the ‘60s, many recognize we were attacked by a vicious enemy on Sept. 11, 2001, and there is no Soviet Union supporting subversion and rebellion in this country. However, the mere implication of disrespect towards our fighting men and women sets a dangerous tone — one that could easily erupt into full-scale hatred of our troops. It’s no wonder Kerry’s remarks are being met with outrage. • Guilmette is managing editor of the Niles Daily Star. He may be contacted at mguilmette@leaderpub.com. |
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Copyright © 2006, Michael C. Guilmette Jr. |
And this has nothing to do with any particular political leanings. Anyone who would espouse such condescending views about the military like he did Monday when he said, “You study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”
