Kerry Lied, And So Did I...

When John Kerry testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 that American troops in Vietnam were ravaging the country with widespread atrocities, it was based on a pack of lies. I know, because I told some of those lies after Kerry coached me on what to say.

I was wounded in 1969 and when well enough to walk and return to the US I was spit on, ridiculed and had feces thrown at my uniform. I was mad at my country for sending me to a war it was not committed to win and bitter at being vilified for serving my country.

After discharge from the Army I met a representative of “Vietnam Veterans Against the War.” He wore jungle fatigues, spoke like a Vietnam veteran and held out a hand of friendship, a kind of Vietnam era VFW. I joined, not knowing they were radicals.

After several VVAW meetings my recruiter said we were needed in a Detroit meeting called Winter Soldier to support members recounting bad experiences in Vietnam, and there would be a free concert.

I rode to Detroit with John Kerry and others in a freezing cold van. While Kerry was interested in atrocities, I hoped to meet pretty women.

In Detroit Kerry pressed me to testify but I told him I didn’t see any atrocities in Vietnam. They needed me for their purpose because I was one of the few present who had been in combat.

During a break, John Kerry and some moderators surrounded me. Kerry said, “I need you to say you saw war crimes and atrocities in Vietnam.” Others said “Come on man, the brothers need you!” and “Don’t you want to help save lives in Vietnam?” Someone whispered in my ear “It’s a long walk back to Baltimore.”

I reluctantly agreed to say something, and Kerry said “OK, we’re going to have a dialogue with you recorded before you go out there. I need you to talk about the beating of civilians and enemy personnel.”

Kerry coached me to “Specify indiscriminate artillery on villages, racism, brutality and rape.” He said he’d help me with specifics.

When the camera came on, Kerry asked “What brings you here to Detroit?” Was he kidding? I felt betrayed, I tried to evade by mumbling how hard that was to answer and I felt a strong desire to leave.

But I didn’t. Following Kerry’s prompting I told false stories, a rambling bunch of generalities sprinkled with references to racism, atrocities, and an organized underground in country, along with some half-truths to please the mob.

When it was over I went on with my life, rejoined the military, and buried VVAW as a dark memory. When I later discovered Kerry had been meeting with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in Paris and repeating their talking points in the US while our boys were still dying, I was sick at having helped him.

I have noted the backlash against veterans who speak out against Kerry now that he wants to be President. Many call it dirty politics. But it makes no difference to me whether Kerry is a Democrat or Republican; this is a matter of keeping faith with my country. Whatever you say about me, I now must tell the truth about Kerry and about myself.

Recently in Washington DC a group of Vietnam vets held a rally. At the last minute I was given a few moments to speak to the crowd of thousands. I nervously stepped up on the stage, gripped the podium with shaking hands and as I confessed to the crowd what I had done long ago I could see anger on their faces. But when I asked them to forgive me, I heard someone shout "You're already forgiven!" I saw aging veterans, wives and their adult children standing in the sun with tears on their faces. There were also smiles. From these people I felt closure, my dark conscience brightened. As I stepped off the stage, many lined up to shake my hand and hug me, and I was overwhelmed.

I failed those I owed the most loyalty long ago. That’s my fault, not John Kerry’s. But Kerry did use me, and he knowingly used lies to denounce a generation of fine American troops.

Kerry played on people’s fears to gain his own political advantage 33 years ago, no matter the danger to our troops. He’s doing the same thing again today.

Have the Democrats been taken over by socialists??

Gee Misty, if you can ask a question like that, I have to wonder.

The Democrats have been so thoroughly taken over by socialists in the last 40 years that the question is taken fore granted. Every time a Demo says "profit" like it is excrement, says "for the workers" like those workers are slaves instead of freemen, "more government spending" like that means anything other than stealing from some to give to others, "the common good" like this is anything other than collectivism, on and on and on, you hear socialism speaking. Wjy else do you think we have a $7 trillion national debt other than socialism? Heck, too many Republicans are RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and are thoroughly contaminated with socialist ideas as well.

How do you battle that with people who have demonstrated such ignorance?

One person at a time. The Democrat party is hopeless, at this point. One thing we do is send people to this quiz. It kind of changes your focus on political orientation. You want more freedom or more government control. It isn't right or left but up or down? This is really the issue. Test

I wish I could say I thought of this, but give yourself a rest will ya?

Subject: WHY THE US IS AT WAR

Some of you may not approve of the Iraqi war, but it's the BEST
explanation of the war that I've ever read, and I feel I must pass
it on.

This is the BEST explanation of WHY we are AMERICA, the Home of the
Brave and the Land of the FREE!

The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at
war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My
husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be
honored to serve and defend our country again today. I knew that my
husband would give him a good explanation.

My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go
stand in our front living room window. He told him: "Son, stand
there and tell me what you see?"

"I see trees and cars and our neighbors houses." he replied.

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the
United States of America and you are President Bush."

Our son giggled and said "OK."

"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every
house and yard on this block is a different country" my husband
said.

"OK Dad, I'm pretending"

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and see that
man come out of his house with his wife and he has her by the hair
and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her
in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her
to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they
are crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are
kids and afraid of their father. You see all of this son..
> what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do son?"

"I call the police, Dad."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take
your call, listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help.
What do you do then son?"

> "Dad, but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place
or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it,"
my husband says.

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I
want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor
who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to
his children."
>
"Daddy...he kills them?"

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next
door neighbor to help me stop him." our son says.

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to
get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop
him," my husband says.

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?"

Our son starts to cry.

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask
for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands
taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

"What Daddy?"

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down
her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house
on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you
standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"Daddy..."

"WHAT DO YOU DO?"

Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I close the
blinds, Daddy."

"My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him...
"Why?"

"Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help...people who
needs it....and they won't help....You always say that neighbors are
supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't
help me stop him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself
.Daddy.....I can't look out my window and just watch him do all
these terrible things
and...and.....do nothing..so....I'm just going to close the
blinds....so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to
pretend that it is not happening."

I start to cry.

> My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window,
looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husbands questions
and he tells him...."Son"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Open the blinds because that man.... he's at your front
door..."WHAT DO YOU DO?"

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He
balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes,
without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT
GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA
FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs my son to his
> chest and hugs him tight, and cries..."It's too late to fight him,
he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you
should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife. You have to do
what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before......it's too
late." my husband whispers.

THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When
good men stand by and let evil happen is the greatest EVIL of all.
Our President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must
understand that this war is a war of humanity. WE must remove evil
men from power so that we can continue to live in a free world where
we are not afraid to look out our window. So that my nine year old
> son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just "closes"
the blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him.

"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!"

BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!

BE PROUD OF OUR PRESIDENT!

BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!!

SUPPORT THEM!!!

SUPPORT AMERICA!!

SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER
HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS...."

"The liberty we prize is not American's gift to the world, it is
God's gift to humanity." -George W. Bush

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