If he were 12, he would go to grown up jail here in the US, so that is not a criteria. If he were 12, he is also old enough to kill and be killed. Just see any war zone on earth.
Does he get a free pass for his statements in the 70s? Heck no. He needs to be held to account for them. But does his saying those things mean he still believes them? No. If he has changed his mind, and is now behind the troops (as his words and votes have shown), then I give him some slack. If he came out and truly apoligized for his behavior in the 70s, then I would give him more slack. If he still believes that there were war crimes and orders from the top for them in Vietnam, then he should say so, and we could judge him then. Now, facts have shown that there were attrocities in Vietnam. Just as there have been in Iraq and Afghanistan. And the Civil War. But I think we've all learned that that is part of the price and fog of war. Those things ARE going to happen. The question is: have we done everything we can to minimize such things? Have we put training and process and procedures in place to minimize them? Do we watch for them, and correct them, and hold those that do such things to account. Yes. Better than anyone else, I believe. Do those that served with him and under him have a voice? Yes. I take what they say probably more seriously than the opinion of anyone else. Do I agree with the "swift boat" ads and org? Hell no. Do I think that some of the people saying he was a bad leader are correct? Probably. But here is the question: how much of that opinion is due to his actual actions in Vietnam, and how much of that opinion is because of what he did and said when he got back? If it is due to his actions in Vietnam, that's fair. If it is due to his actions back in the US, then it is not fair. It would be fair to say he is a dirtbag, and disgraced his uniform, but not that he was a bad officer in Vietnam. On 11/2/06, loathe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > A kid old enough to kill and be killed. > > If he were a criminal he would go to grown up jail, that makes him a man. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Jerry Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:57 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: Going Back > > > > From here in my dotage, that makes him a kid. > > > > On 11/2/06, loathe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > He wasn't a kid. He was an officer which means he was at least 22. > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:219264 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
