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Richard
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Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 53
Location: Gainesville, FL
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 Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 12:30 am Post subject: Interview with former POW, Jerry Coffee |
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I would like to make a point about good judgement and what a candidate should know if he wants to be a national leader.
Recently, Laura Ingraham interviewed Jerry Coffee who is a former Vietnam POW. He was in captivity from 1966-1973. In this interview Mr. Coffee speaks to the effect of the anti-war movement on the moral of the POW's as well as the North Vietnamese. I recorded and edited it for everyone to hear. [Let me plug Laura's radio show. She has some great guests and presents fantastic polical commentary. I listen the the show almost every day over the Internet.]
You can listen to the edited interview by Laura Ingraham at: Jerry Coffee Interview
Notice: About 1/2 way through the interview, a piece of the audio was cut off. That was operator error on my part. The interview then picks up in the second segment. This interview was not edited to reinforce or amplify anything negative toward Senator Kerry.
In addition to this interview, I want to direct your attention to a news article from Reuters discussing the 29th anniversary celebration of the fall of Saigon. It is printed below with a link.
| Quote: | By Christina Toh-Pantin
HANOI (Reuters) - Twenty-nine years after the end of the Vietnam war, communist military mastermind General Vo Nguyen Giap remains grateful to the Americans who opposed it.
The Vietnam War, known in Vietnam as the American War, has become a hot issue in the U.S. presidential race with Democrat John Kerry drawing attention to his service and President Bush's Republicans disparaging Kerry's later anti-war stand.
"I would like to thank them," the 93-year-old veteran said on Friday of those Americans who opposed the war.
Giap was speaking during a two-hour interview with foreign and domestic media on the 29th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, capital of the then U.S.-backed South Vietnam, that marked the end of the war.
The four-star general, who also led Vietnam to a stunning defeat against the French army 50 years ago at Dien Bien Phu, declined to be drawn on comparisons between the U.S. war in his country, that ended in 1975, and the U.S. involvement in Iraq.
But he sounded a note of warning.
"Any forces that wish to impose their will on other nations will surely fail," he said.
"Each nation should have the right to independence," he said, wagging a finger at reporters and Foreign Ministry staff in an ornate French colonial style government guest house in the capital, Hanoi.
The frail, snowy haired general, who was a teacher and dabbled in journalism before becoming revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh's top commander, peppered long stories about Dien Bien Phu with anecdotes and jokes.
Giap spoke mostly in Vietnamese, replying to questions submitted in advance as well as to four asked on the spot. But he broke into fluent French when a question was posed in that language.
Regarded as Vietnam's most famous living figure, Giap appears in public for a few national events, and this year has been promoting the anniversary of the victory of his Viet Minh forces, a coalition of communists and nationalists, over a much better equipped French force.
The culmination of the 56-day siege of Colonel Christian de Castries' forces in the valley town of Dien Bien Phu, about 490 km (300 miles) northwest of Hanoi, came on May 7, 1954.
Giap will be the star of the 50th-anniversary celebrations, which are expected to draw thousands of Vietnamese and foreign visitors to the battlefield.
Vietnam's Hero Still Grateful to Anti-War Americans |
So here is my point. John F. Kerry was a graduate of Yale, a prestigious university known for educating and training political leaders. He spent over three years as an officer in the Navy. He had to have been aware of the effect of the anti-war movement on our men and women in uniform.
If you accept that as the truth, you must conclude one of the following:- John Kerry decided to conduct himself as he did (before the Senate and with the VVAW) despite the negative affects on our military.
or
- If you feel he didn't know, then John Kerry's education and experience did nothing to help him make a decision to support our troops.
Either he knew and didn't care, or he didn't know which means his eight years of education and experience did nothing for him. This strikes right at the question of "JUDGEMENT". And I conclude that John Kerry used extremely bad judgement.
Extending this (or connecting the dots as they say), I can also say he is using the same poor judgement with his remarks today regarding Iraq. Notice that I don't say his position is wrong. He is entitled to his beliefs. What I am saying is that his anti-American remarks are again another example of poor judgement. It shows me that he does not have the resume (intellectually) to be the Commander-in-Chief.
Richard
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mikest
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Joined: 11 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 1:12 am Post subject: |
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| Why do you suppose John McCain defends Kerry so often? It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well. |
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Richard
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Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 53
Location: Gainesville, FL
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 1:23 am Post subject: |
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| mikest wrote: | | Why do you suppose John McCain defends Kerry so often? It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well. |
Mike,
I won't repeat what I have already stated. But I will ask you to find a source where Senator McCain supported John Kerry's anti-war stance. Remember, supporting his position is not the same as supporting his right to say it. We all agree that it is every American's right to their opinion. The debate here is if Kerry's position was correct or not. It further leads us to ask ourselves if that opinion was made using good judgement.
Richard
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mikest
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 1:25 am Post subject: |
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| McCain has said that he fought honerably and we should drop the whole Vietnamn discussion. It seems to me that he was able to get past any animosity he had and has befriended Kerry. |
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LewWaters
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Joined: 18 May 2004
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Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 1:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | McCain has said that he fought honerably and we should drop the whole Vietnamn discussion. |
So far, I fail to see all that much discussion concerning Kerry's scant 4 months in country. Some, yes, but by and large, it would seem the focus is on his time spent after those grueling 4 months.
For me, that's where the main focus should be. He hurt an awful lot of people then and continues to do it down to this day. He has never apologized, but make a weak attempt at excusing his actions by saying words to the effect that maybe he said some exaggerations in his youth. YOUTH? He was 27 years old. Hardly a pubescent adolescent.
He and Fonda attempt to distance themselves from each other, but when you both speak at the same rally on the same day, don't come back and tell me you never met each other.
Kerry is the one making Vietnam the issue. Once he did that, he opened a lot of old wounds and if he isn't man enough to take the heat, then get the hell out of the kitchen. We are all held accountable for our actions. He should be also. |
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Carl Bowman
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Joined: 16 May 2004
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 1:50 am Post subject: |
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Either he knew and didn't care, or he didn't know which means his eight years of education and experience did nothing for him. This strikes right at the question of "JUDGEMENT". And I conclude that John Kerry used extremely bad judgement.
Extending this (or connecting the dots as they say), I can also say he is using the same poor judgement with his remarks today regarding Iraq. Notice that I don't say his position is wrong. He is entitled to his beliefs. What I am saying is that his anti-American remarks are again another example of poor judgement. It shows me that he does not have the resume (intellectually) to be the Commander-in-Chief[quote]
What John McCain says about Kerry has nothing to do with Kerry's judgment or intellect. In fact I wonder about McCain, over the past three years he seems to be losing his mental capability. I personally think the skin cancer went much deeper.
I am in total agreement with Richard It shows me that he does not have the resume (intellectually) to be the Commander-in-Chief
CWB |
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Scott
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1603
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:04 am Post subject: |
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| mikest wrote: | | Why do you suppose John McCain defends Kerry so often? It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well. |
Which party are you referring to as the "opposition" party, may I ask? |
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mikest
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Joined: 11 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:06 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | What John McCain says about Kerry has nothing to do with Kerry's judgment or intellect. In fact I wonder about McCain, over the past three years he seems to be losing his mental capability. I personally think the skin cancer went much deeper.
I am in total agreement with Richard It shows me that he does not have the resume (intellectually) to be the Commander-in-Chief
CWB |
I love it. A variation of campaign 2000 with a mental smear against McCain. What problem f=do you have with him? His opposition to more tax cuts as we spen $200,000,000,000 for the war in Iraq? You must prefer the new GOP that is fiscally irresponsible and is more concerned with religion. I respect McCain because he is not an idealogue and he fought bravely in Vietnamn and at home for what he believes in. The idiots who call him a RINO are too stupid to look at his voting record.
Lew, I respect much of what you say, but there have been probably more than a thousand posts accusing Kerry of everything from not deserving his medals to murder. |
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mikest
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Joined: 11 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:16 am Post subject: |
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| Scott wrote: | | mikest wrote: | | Why do you suppose John McCain defends Kerry so often? It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well. |
Which party are you referring to as the "opposition" party, may I ask? |
Gee. Let's see. John Kerry, Democrat. John McCain, Republican. There, I spelled it out for you. |
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Carl Bowman
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Joined: 16 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:20 am Post subject: |
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| That was not not meant to be a smear on McCain, My personal oppinion He is losing his mental capability. It seems to be getting worse since he had the skin cancer. CWB |
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Scott
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1603
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:24 am Post subject: |
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If Republicans are the opposition party, which one is in charge of the government?
If "It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well", then he must be John McCain, right? |
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mikest
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Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 377
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| Scott wrote: | If Republicans are the opposition party, which one is in charge of the government?
If "It's not as if he was not a prisoner of war and he is from the oposition party as well", then he must be John McCain, right? |
Sorry. I got ahead of myself. I should have said "Come January he will be in the oposition party." |
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Scott
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1603
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Owned and operated by Andrew McKelvy, perhaps.
And his father and grandad will be spinning.
In their graves. |
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Navy_Navy_Navy
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Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 5777
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 2:54 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for making that available to us, Richard. Very interesting coversation.
And this certainly bears repeating, despite the attempts to derail and evade:
| Quote: | | So here is my point. John F. Kerry was a graduate of Yale, a prestigious university known for educating and training political leaders. He spent over three years as an officer in the Navy. He had to have been aware of the effect of the anti-war movement on our men and women in uniform. |
Doesn't get much clearer than that.
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Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother |
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