A grandfather of 7, still working full time in the insurance business (accounting).

I spent one month in Viet Nam in 1968, which, apparently, qualifies me for war hero status. No Purple Hearts, etc. Our ship was called to the Med to replace the station cruiser which was bombed. Unfortunately, I did not address the Congress or the Senate nor did I speak with any of our country's enemies. All I did was follow orders, do my duty and was honorably discharged in 1970. I served two enlistments in the Air Force, was discharged, went to school to learn electronics. When the school turned out to be a fake, I joined the Navy. Learned electronics, ran a huge missile tracking Radar on a cruiser. Up and dsown the West coast, two cruises to the Meditrainian, one far east cruise. Ship sabotaged, decommissioned, discharged. End of subjct.

I consider myself a conservative, I guess. I don't believe that the government, any government, has all the answers, or knows best how to run my life or spend my money. Most politicicans are fools, bufoons or just plain idiots. Think back over the last few years, you'll see plenty of examples. Yet, at election time, we try to make them all into some sort of gods or heroes.

America only exists because we, somehow, manage to elect leaders for ourselves who either make this a better nation, or, at least, don't make it much worse. Usually, though, it's a choice between tweedly dee and tweedly dum. The lesser of two (or three) evils. Someone once said, maybe Abe Lincoln, I don't know, that we get the kind of government we deserve. I don't really believe that we deserved Clinton, but then I didn'tr vote for him, either.

The problem is that everyone wants to believe all the promises made, even though we all know that with the checks and balances no one man can run the whole country. Or do everything he promises. Usually, the promises are forgotten after the inaugeration. Conveniently. Everyone ignores the mans record. Also conveniently.

I say man, because so far there hasn't been a woman president, tho lord knows Hillary is trying. Won't that be a red letter day? I am not anti-female, but it's just like the Democratic Party; why can't they find decent, viable candidates?


And so along comes John Kerry, Viet Nam War Hero! Decorated, too, no less. (Maybe.) The man who came back from an exceptionally short tour of duty (a bit longer than mine) The question has risen about whether he's is fit to be CIC. Well, this is a very real concern, considering that when he returned he began protesting the war and claiming that all the troops in Nam were war criminals, including himself. A lot of our boys suffered for that; some died. No wonder he is not loved by the veterans. Of course, his story is that he is being maligned by President Bush. No one is contesting his war record, except himself and some of the guys who were there, with him. As someone said, everyone exagerates his experiences. Maybe. But not too many have home movies made of reenactments, showing what heroes we were.

In this country, we value freedom of speech, almost above everything else. Even if everything you say is nothing but pure unadulterated BS, you have a right to say it. But don't hold it up as God's own truth, especially if there are others who know better. That is the height of assininity. I knew a lot of Swift boat leaders and crewmen. A lot of them got boats shot out from under them. A lot of them took flack and live rounds. Some got Purple Hearts, some didn't. None complained. Most wanted to get back over there, to finish the job. They believed the war was winnable, given the cooperation and support of Congress and the people back home. People like Jane Fonda, and yes, John Kerry, made that impossible. Because of them I believe that we let the people of South Viet Nam down. We lost that war, not because we didn't have enough men and firepower, but because of traitors in our own midst, and, as Schwarsinager says, 'girly men' who would not allow the military to do their job. True, maybe we should never have gotten into that war, just like the current one, but once in there, you have to finish it, carry it to the final conclusion. You can't just turn around and walk away. We did it then, and Kerry is trying to get us to do it again. Hey, it was the Democrats that got us into both of those messes.

I believe in America. I also believe that we are at the most dangerous point in our history. America could become a footnote in history, a concept that failed. If it does, the entire world will be plunged into a dark ages unlike any other. All it takes is for good people to do nothing. All it takes is for this man, John Kerry, to get elected. He is not the friend of freedom, nor of America. He hates everything we stand for. He is no better than Osama Bin Laden.


This is way too long, so I'll stop.


God bless America.