In '72 speech, a different kind of Kerry. (** Criticized Nixon for seeking early return of POWs!!**)

The Dartmouth Online ^ | Friday, March 5, 2004 | By Matthew Kelly, The Dartmouth Staff

[VadeRetro]

Probable Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry will likely face a challenge on the left from Ralph Nader soon, but 32 years ago, Kerry showered his possible electoral spoiler with praise in a speech at the College. Kerry implored Dartmouth students "to be their own Ralph Nader" in opposing the Vietnam War, urging the audience to "break the cycle of non-involvement."

Kerry, who had recently served as president of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, spoke on Jan. 10, 1972 at the Top of the Hop, where he urged students and Americans who opposed the Vietnam War to involve themselves in politics with greater zeal. Regarding Ralph Nader, Kerry said that opponents of the war "must be public citizens in every aspect of our lives," as Kerry apparently thought Nader did.

Kerry also took then-controversial positions relating to those who fled the draft. He favored "amnesty and repatriation" for deserters and draft dodgers, although he doubted that Americans would accept his stance. In order to convince the country to give amnesty to deserters, Kerry proposed repatriation contingent on some sort of national service.

Although Kerry's remarks were controversial at the time, Russell Caplan '72, former executive editor of The Dartmouth, said time has healed many of the scars of Vietnam.

Indeed, President Jimmy Carter followed through on a campaign promise just a day after his inauguration by granting a pardon to those who avoided the draft by either not registering or avoiding the war.

Kerry has shrewdly avoided publicly criticizing President Bush's National Guard service, which some critics of the president have dismissed as akin to draft dodging. But, Kerry has no doubt benefited from the sharp contrast between their Vietnam experiences.

"I've never made any judgments about any choice somebody made about avoiding the draft, about going to Canada, going to jail, being a conscientious objector, going into the National Guard," Kerry told Fox News recently. "Those are choices people make."

Caplan said that Dartmouth as a whole was largely divided on the issue of the Vietnam War during his time. On the one hand, Larry Adelman '73, the author of the article, was a "rabid peace activist who would wear anti-war armbands to class." On the pro-war side, the group Students Behind Dartmouth was formed in 1968 to counterbalance liberal activists.

Although the College was split roughly 50-50 on the issue of the war, Caplan said that the campus never approached experiencing riots on the scale of those that paralyzed Columbia University in 1968.

"Dartmouth didn't do that because it had more of a conservative student body and alumni, and it was in an isolated location and easier to contain," Caplan said.

In his 1972 speech, Kerry lashed at then-President Richard Nixon, claiming that he was personally responsible for over 130,000 Vietnam casualties a month, although Kerry also predicted reelection. He also criticized Nixon for trying to request the return of prisoners of war before the war ended. Ironically, Kerry has worked with Arizona Sen. John McCain on lingering Vietnam POW/MIA issues during their time in the Senate.

Kerry had vaulted into the national spotlight after testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations committee in 1971, where he famously asked, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" This quote was featured in the upper right corner of The Dartmouth, where editors would normally place humorous one-liners, according to Caplan.

The Kerry campaign declined to comment Thursday.

[VadeRetro]

With heroes like Kerry, who needs traitors?

[randog]

The Kerry campaign declined to comment Thursday.

I think that will become Kerry's campaign slogan--"No Comment".

[Pearls Before Swine]

He also criticized Nixon for trying to request the return of prisoners of war before the war ended.

WTF? What possible logic is there for this for any American, regardless of their position on 'Nam at the time? Maybe he was thinking of that John Lee Hooker line: "It serves you right to suffer, babe. It serves you right to be alone."

[VadeRetro]

I really can't imagine the nature of the criticism of Nixon for seeking an early return of POWs. Perhaps it is made because Kerry's VVAW group hadn't insisted upon such a point when they negotiated a separate peace with the Norh Vietnamese and thus Nixon was showing them up by trying to get a better deal. Or maybe Kerry just had North Vietnam's best interests at heart.

I'd be curious to hear him explain why trying for an early POW release was just one more horrible thing which that right-wing ogre, Nixon, did.

[VadeRetro]

My speculations, such as they are, are in #4. Whatever the explanation might have been, Kerry should be asked to repeat it in 2004.

[Paul Atreides]

It is sickening to think that there are people, on this very forum, who would rather have that slime in the White House, over Bush. And, I'm not talking about the trolls.

[VadeRetro]

It is sickening to think that there are people, on this very forum, who would rather have that slime in the White House, over Bush.

I don't know where you found one of these. Such a person is on the wrong forum. Was it Tuco-bad? Murray-Mom?

[rwfromkansas]

big bump

[rwfromkansas]

Impressive stuff from a college newspaper

[vbmoneyspender]

I'll take a guess. Kerry didn't want the POWs returned early because that would have made it easier for Nixon to continue providing military supplies to the anti-Communists in South Vietnam. In other words, once we had our guys out of there, the Communists would have no leverage over us so Nixon could continue to supply the anti-Communists to their heart's content.

[VadeRetro]

Crevo time-out bump!

[gitmo]

I guess Kerry thought they hadn't been adequately punished yet?

[VadeRetro]

Hmmm. Yes, Jane Fonda was spitting in their faces around that time. The POWs were actually rather unpopular with the anti-war crowd. For sure, they knew too much.

[U S Army EOD]

No not at all, check your history. Shortly after that in Easter of 1972 the North Vietnamese launched an offensive in South Vietnam larger than the Germans did in the Battle of the Bulge. I was in Vietnam at the time.

In 1980 President Carter launched the amnesty program Kerry was talking about. At the same time he cut back Veterans benefits. I could not use my Veterans preference because I had over two years of college. At the same time, had I been a deserter coming back from Canada, I would have been guaranteed a job if I came back to the States.

[JoeSixPack1]

Indeed, President Jimmy Carter followed through on a campaign promise just a day after his inauguration by granting a pardon to those who avoided the draft by either not registering or avoiding the war.

The damage done that day gave legitimacy to every scumbag non-serving politician ever elected.

[Blue Scourge]

First I find it kinda ironic that he has been baiting McCain for VP and apparently was criticizing Nixon for trying to get the POWs home early...

and I agree that Kerry's campaign slogan is going to be "No comment" or "Thats none of your bussiness".

[vbmoneyspender]

I am not following you. When did we pull our troops out -- didn't that occur at the beginning of 1973 after the South Vietnamese and the North Vietnamese had signed the Paris Peace Accord, which resulted in the return of our POWS? And didn't that, in turn, give Nixon more of a free hand to provide the South Vietnamese with the military supplies they needed?

[VadeRetro]

Jimmy Carter liked to pardon unpopular people. He pardoned Puerto Rican terrorists who had attacked US officials back in the early 1950s. At least one non-terrorist died in those attacks.

[VadeRetro]

First I find it kinda ironic that he has been baiting McCain for VP and apparently was criticizing Nixon for trying to get the POWs home early...

Apparently, McCain once thought he had issues with Kerry over POWs and 'Nam, but now sees his most recent wounds as inflicted by Bush. When it's all about you, it's just a matter of who hurt you last.

[cyncooper]

He also criticized Nixon for trying to request the return of prisoners of war before the war ended

Well, that's damned odd.

Is there some "because" missing? Or was it a case of if Nixon said it was day would Kerry claim it was night?