Funmurphys: the Blog

Veterans Speak Out

Dodd gave a heads up about C-Span showing John Kerry's testimony before a Senate committee in 1971 so I was able to watch it. I had a negative, visceral reaction to it. McQ had a much stronger, more personal reaction to Kerry's anti-soldier (yes, Kerry in opposing the Vietnam war did so in a manner that slimed and smeared every soldier who fought there) actions after he returned with his medals in hand:

Well I’m very angry as well, Becky.

I’m angry that a nation treated its soldiers the way it did 35 years ago. I’m angry that actions of John Kerry led to that dishonorable treatment. But more than that, I’m angry that now that we who were maligned and smeared by Kerry and the VVAW want to speak out about it, people like you want us to shut up.

Well we’re not going to shut up.

We kept quite about it for all those years and we’re damn tired of living with the lies Kerry and others told about us. We’ve as much right to speak as John Kerry. And we’ve got as much right to tell you and others he was full of crap as any other citizen of this country.

Its not just YOUR country. Its OUR country as well. And this is about how OUR country treated us because of the lies people like John Kerry and the VVAW spread.

When Kerry grows the balls to stand up and tell the Vietnam Vets that he was wrong, he lied and he portrayed them falsely and that he’s sorry for doing so, then perhaps, some real healing can begin.

Until then, I agree with John O’Neill ... he’s unfit for command.

Since I'm not a veteran, some will say I have no standing to comment on McQ's remarks. But as a citizen, I agee with him.