John Kerry's Anti-U.S. Foreign Policy in 1966 Yale Oration

New York Times ^ | May 24, 1970 | N/A.

[mass55th]

The 1970 article claims that Kerry spoke out again American foreign policy as class orator at the 1966 Yale graduation exercises. Does anyone know where a copy of this oration can be viewed or obtained?

[mass55th]

Your Dad is a hero is my book.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Well, did the haughty, French-looking 'rat have his own bodyguard while over there? This is the kind of jerk who can make military service almost look like a bad thing...

[marty60]

I think it was FOX that did an interview with Kerry's FRENCH cousin. Apparently he has a branch of the fam in France. Just what we need, a French President. G Help us.

[NYC GOP Chick]

How kewl is it that John Effin' Kerry has French family members? Certainly explains why he looks French... ;D

[marty60]

'We found most people didn't even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies...'

Is this racist or what. Does he still fell the same way about the Iraqi's. With one exception..."They only wanted to be gassed and murdered by the dictator Saddam Hussein" This guy is really sick and dangerous to our freedoms.

[x]

Interesting articles here and here. Kerry did have real questions about the war in 1966, but went because he couldn't get a draft deferment. Today, it's a safe bet to assume that one wouldn't enlist in wartime if one didn't support the war, but in those days, exile or prison or flunking the physical would have been the other options (it took a while for "alternative service" for non-religious conscientious objectors to be accepted). So it's possible that Kerry did want to "prove some sort of theory." But one would have to know more about his college days to know for sure. Taking one of the other options might have doomed the political career that Kerry wanted, though. That and the draft would have been reason enough to go.

[x]

You might also check out this discussion, and the Weekly Standard article it refers to. Perhaps the draft board story doesn't measure up. Apparently a lot of Ivy leaguers had no trouble getting deferments, and if they did, one could still have avoided going to Vietnam.