Musings of the Chronologically Challenged™ Fourth Generation

 
"The Swift Vets ad about Kerry's testimony before the Fulbright committee was just on - that ad affects me more than anyone could ever know. What just blows me away is how any veteran could hear that and still think Kerry is a great choice for office."

That quote was in an email I received from a Viet Nam vet. Those vets are still hurting. Do you ever think about them? Do you support in any way those who are still disabled or in VA hospitals? Do you wish you had done more for them during the Viet Nam years? I surely do. During the Nam war, I was a rather typical American wife and mother, raising teenagers and worrying about the draft for my son. I knew Viet Nam was awful enough that I didn't want my son to be there and I had a hatred for Lyndon Johnson that has never abated. I can think of that whole generation of young men who never came back home and wish there was an open TV circuit into Hell so I could watch Lyndon Baines Johnson burning every day. It had, nor has, anything to do with Democrat or Republican factions. It was a visceral hatred for a human being who could so cavalierly send 58,000 of America's finest to their deaths for absolutely no purpose. I'll not dissect nor analyze the politics of the time. Everyone knows about that and opinions are set. But how could the American public have reacted as they did to returning vets who, in a cause right or wrong, were doing their sworn duty as commanded by their Commander in Chief? This was one of the greatest injustices in American history, in my opinion. I wonder if, even now, some of the "peace" protestors of the time regret their actions. Jane Fonda admitted she regretted hers. Have you seen The Wall? Take your children. The Wall bandaged up some old wounds and life goes on. But not for those who were there. Not for those who suffered indignities of their countrymen upon their return. Do you have any scars from previous surgeries? Know how an old scar tingles with sensitivity when it's touched? The damaged nerves in that scar will forever be susceptible to unpleasant sensations when irritated by outside stimuli. Emotional battle scars are like that. I pray that today's returning vets will not be met with the contempt of American citizens reacting in ignorance. I pray that rabid political affiliations do not dictate the actions of civilians of either party in how they treat our country's returning military. When you see a man or woman in uniform, show your appreciation for their service to your country and you. The circumstances will lead you in how you do that. A simple "thanks for your service" is always a good opening. A handshake, a beer, or picking up the tab at a restaurant is a sure winner. Thank the people who prove the axiom with their lives that "Freedom is not Free."


posted by HCL at 1:13 AM