I’ve heard a lot of people saying they are going to vote for John Kerry in the upcoming election simply because they do not like George W. Bush.
Their reasons are varied: the most heated is the war in Iraq, then there’s the recession and unemployment issues, and others believe he is just incompetent. And even I’ll admit he hasn’t done the best job. But can you really make a decision this way? Does it really seem sensible to say, “I don’t like one, so I’ll vote for the other”?
I haven’t heard many people say they are voting for Kerry because of his political beliefs or stances on issues. Kerry is winning many votes because people want Bush out of office. But do they realize what they are voting for?
One reason people do give for wanting to vote for Kerry is that he has actual combat experience which will serve well while we are involved with the War on Terrorism.
Kerry served a four-month combat tour in Vietnam. But did you know that later, while still in uniform as a naval reserve, he traveled to France for Peace Talks with the Vietnamese Communist Government, which is forbidden for an officer in uniform to do without permission.
There he spoke out against the war he had been fighting. He also spoke to Congress about what they did in Vietnam and served as the leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Because of this he is in violation of the 14th Amendment, Section III, which states, “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Therefore, Kerry is not technically eligible to run in the first place.
Not only that, but if you look at Web sites for the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth (swiftvets.com), you will see that these Swift Boat veteran organizations, which include men who served alongside Kerry, do not support him because of the way he has spoken about their actions in Vietnam. Oh, and those purple hearts? Two self-inflicted wounds.
“For more than 30 years, most Vietnam veterans kept silent as we were maligned as misfits, drug addicts and baby killers. Now that a key creator of that poisonous image is seeking the Presidency we have resolved to end our silence,” the Web site states. “Though we come from different backgrounds and hold varying political opinions, we agree on one thing: John Kerry misrepresented his record and ours in Vietnam and therefore exhibits serious flaws in character and lacks the potential to lead.”
Kerry has an ad running titled “Lifetime” in which he has used a picture of the unit he served with. But there has been an uproar because the men in the picture do not support him. Of the 19 pictured, 12 oppose Kerry, four are neutral and two dead. Only three support him.
“Most of us in that picture, and most of the other Swifties, have borne the pain of that betrayal all these years. And now John seeks the ultimate irony, to become the commander in chief. Honor is a gift which, once betrayed, is lost forever. It is our turn to speak now and we will be heard,” said Robert Elder, one of the men pictured with Kerry.
Swift Boat veterans have aired anti-Kerry ads, but mostly in swing states.
So yes, Kerry has military experience, but if the same men who fought with him do not consider him worthy, why should we?
Chrissy Zehrbach, a senior journalism major, is editor in chief of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at sqweet@aol.com.
