Comments on: How Kerry Quit Veterans Group

By: Randal Robinson

Randal Robinson — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

The article doesn't claim that he took part but that he was present, voted against the plot, and then resigned. If that's true then he would have had the legal and moral responsibility to report the fact that some members of the group may be plotting assassinations, which he apparently did not.

If he wasn't present and had resigned earlier it does point out the radical nature of the VVAW that they were even considering this.

Either way, if this story has any truth to it, it doesn't give me a high opinion of Kerry's anti-war activities and associations.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I'm with Randal -- the very fact VVAW even debated the question rather than rejecting it out-of-hand says something about the group.

And if Barnes's account of the meeting is correct it does raise questions about Kerry for not speaking out about how dangerous certain members of VVAW were. He was certainly happy to go before Congress and speak out about how dangerous and bloodthirsty American soldiers in Vietnam allegedly were.

By: Tom Royce

Tom Royce — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

You guys have to understand that under the prism that was the 60's, it was all cool. As long as you were against the man, in the groove, it was no big deal. And come on, all they were doing was talking while the man was bombing the babies. So Kerry was there. He probably was zoned on some hemp. You guys got to chill on the dude.
NEW DISCLAIMER: For the NY Times, the preceding was satire, not a commentary on your editorial page.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

This does raise more questions than it answers.... As the saying goes.

By: Pen

Pen — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Where does this article say Kerry DIDN'T report what happened that day?

For one thing, you have to ASSUME Kerry doesn't recall correctly and these two men aren't mistaken.

For another, you have to ASSUME Kerry didn't do anything about it.

Finally, you have to ASSUME the FBI somehow didn't know about the plot but evidently they DID KNOW so it's all a moot point anyways. If the FBI didn't intervene then obviously there was no real threat to begin with.

After all, no assassinations ever took place did they?

By: Joseph Anderson

Joseph Anderson — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I had to keep an open mind and read the book by Douglas Brinkley-Tour of Duty -John Kerry and the Vietnam War. On the first page of the prologue Kerry asked "the Foreign Relations Committee and beyond them to the nation at large:'How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake'?" I guess we were trained a little differently in the Marine Corps. Number one, there is a first and last man to die in any conflict, however unfortunate it may seem. Second, Kerry was a Lieutenant (j.g) probably one of the most dangerous (to himself and others) uninformed ranks in any military service. Third, and most importantly, any one's individual's opinion on anything is just that. Wars, battles, missions differ so greatly based on enemy situation, your position, your training and that of your men, etc. It is okay to state, write books, and give you experiences to all. But don't tell me that is what went on over the length of the war, all over the country, by all servicemen. I flew in Huey gunships in Phu Bai and never got south of Chu Lai, An Hoa or Hoi An,so I would never say what we experienced was countrywide. In short, I feel the Mr. Kerry pissed down my back and told me it was raining. Bottom line is that he was protesting while we still had servicemen left behind, still fighting or missing in action. Mr. Kerry still doesn't get it.

By: DiscountBlogger

DiscountBlogger — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

POLITICS GETTING NASTIER
James Joyner links to a piece by Thomas Lipscomb detailing how John Kerry resigned from a group that had taken a vote to assassinate conservatives who supported the Viet Nam war. I agree with James's assertion:Kerry is rather leftist and...

By: Flit(tm)

Flit(tm) — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Letter to the Paper VIII
Thomas Lipscomb's NY Sun article on how John Kerry resigned from VVAW over at Outside the Beltway. The affair is a shocker, if true. This shouldn't be left to wander around in the fever swamps and it should be easily...

By: Weekend Pundit

Weekend Pundit — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

A Cautionary Tale For John Kerry
In this post I quoted Thomas Sowell about how âbeing a war hero is not a lifetime get-out -of-jail-free card.â Now David Yeagley of Bad...

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