Posted on 03/12/2004 1:47:53 PM PST by Davis
Patriotism and John Kerry
Many Americans are having a difficult time reconciling John Kerry's Viet Nam service with his activism against the war upon his return. I will not quibble over the length of his service in country inasmuch as four months can be an eternity under combat circumstances.
I will not quibble over the severity of his wounds. He sustained them in battle and that's good enough for me.
It's the term "hero" that's giving me trouble. I am not sure what it means anymore. It is tossed about and bestowed so casually that it's meaning has become obscure to me.
It used to evoke ideas of "above and beyond the call of duty" and "at great personal risk." These two elements of heroism are implicit in what I believe heroism really is. Selfless.
The old saw that adversity builds character is generally accepted as true. Less readily accepted is the notion that adversity does not build character, rather it reveals it.
Rest assured, not all medals for valor were awarded to men who acted selflessly. There have been many whose heroism involved risking not only their own lives but the lives of their comrades as well. Sometimes the only difference between a court-martial and a medal is the outcome.
Kerry's situation asks a number of questions. How are we to balance his actions in uniform against his actions as a civilian? How many despicable acts does it take to cancel out an honorable one? How much aid and comfort must one give to the enemy before the title of hero is revoked and replaced with the most reviled title of traitor?
Kerry's life story put me immediately in mind of Benedict Arnold. Arnold fought bravely in a number of battles and was thrice wounded. But, when promotion and recognition were not forthcoming, he decided to seek them from the enemy. It took history a nanosecond to balance the scales in Arnold's case. Ah, it was a simpler time back then.
As Arnold was fleeing down the Hudson River with the British, he defended his actions stating, "...love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions."
Kerry it seems is invoking the same defense. A sensitive soul, it pains him deeply that anyone would question his patriotism. Patriotism used to be a fine word. But, its meaning daily becomes more vague and relative. So, rather than impose my understanding of the word on Kerry, I will let him provide his own definition.
In a recent speech Kerry attacked the President with a series of half truths and outright lies concerning the President's indifference to our uniformed service members. He concluded by stating, "We are fighting for the mainstream value of a stronger America and for the ideal that the first duty of patriotism is to honor those who wear and have worn the uniform of the United States."
Decide for yourself if Kerry lived up to his own ideal of patriotism and honored those who were then wearing the uniform, fighting and dying while he testified before congress and gave encouragement to their enemies.
James Henretta in his essay on Benedict Arnold (Archiving Early America) concluded that "Arnold's perfidy lay in the abuse of his position of authority and trust: he would betray West Point and its garrison - and if necessary the entire American war effort - to secure his own success. His treason was not that of a principled man but that of a selfish one..."
If Kerry is a principled man, it is important for us to know which principle influenced which action. It matters.
Why go back to Viet Nam to question or answer his patriotism when we have his record on Iraq? If, by his own words, the first duty of patriotism is to honor those who wear the uniform, then you don't vote to send them to a war that you aren't prepared to support.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.