-- by Justin Darr

One of the darkest scars of shame America must bear is its treatment of returning veterans after the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that the actions, courage, an bravery of our Vietnam vets is equal to any displayed by American soldiers from Bunker Hill to Iwo Jima, American leftists singled them out as criminals and robbed them of the dignity and respect they earned. It was not enough for the left to undermine America’s will to fight and win the Vietnam War, they had to destroy the lives of thousands of men who did nothing but risk their lives to preserve the freedom the left abused. After decades where countless vets have been forced to live through their own private hells, one of those responsible for their plight wants to be President of the United States. Finally, Vietnam Veterans have the chance to strike back against those who so unfairly marred their lives.

Throughout the entire 2004 election season, John Kerry has been attempting to pull a bait and switch on the American public. He has been walking the tight rope of parading is military service as one of his chief qualifications for office and proof of his support for veterans, but at the same time stifling any attempts to discuss his anti-American and anti-veteran actions after he returned home. He wants all the respect and honor that Vietnam veterans have earned, but wants to suffer no accountability for his role in personally denying that same respect to his brothers in arms. There is nothing more insulting or duplicitous.

It would be one matter if Kerry took the time to explain himself and his actions in the early 1970’s. We have all said and done things we regret in our lives, and it is a mark of superior moral fiber to admit your mistakes and beg forgiveness from those you have harmed. However, John Kerry is doing none of this. Instead he is systematically assaulting the character and motivations of any veterans who try to draw attention to Kerry’s past record. Just look at the leaders of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who have been forced to endure the full force of the Democratic Personal Destruction Machine and their cronies in the liberal media. Kerry has tried to parley the opinions of scarcely over a dozen vets to call literally hundreds of others, including his entire chain of command, liars. He is doing this for one reason. John Kerry does not want anyone to remember that he was willing to stoop so low as to lie about his fellow veterans and betray his country in order to start his political career.

Now there is another group of Vets who has drawn Kerry’s ire by having the audacity to make a documentary about how communists used Kerry’s words and actions at home to torture them while they were POW’s in Vietnam. While Kerry has already started his hysterical attempts to silence these vets as well, with complaints to the FEC and attacks on Sinclair Broadcast Group’s advertisers, there is no telling what lengths he will go to take away these veterans freedom of speech. One thing is certain, however. John Kerry is yet once again lying about and demonizing his fellow veterans for no reason other than they are getting in the way of his political ambition.

Enough is enough. The time is now for Vietnam Veterans to step forward and stop this cycle of abuse and save their nation once again. America hardly deserves it. After all that has been done to them, it would be no wonder if many Veterans disavowed the political process completely. Who are we to come, hat in hand, and beg for the help of those we treated so terribly? But to veterans I say that there is something far larger than a presidential election at stake here. I am asking you to vote for George Bush not just to stop Kerry and toss him and his failed ideology into the past forever, but for the current soldiers in Iraq. John Kerry and the left are once again undermining America’s will to fight and win, and, if they are allowed, will turn Iraq into another Vietnam in every way; complete with the demonization of our soldiers. What do you think our Iraqi veterans will return home to if Kerry is elected? Only the Vietnam veterans can prevent another Vietnam. Whether you call it irony, fate, or justice, John Kerry’s political future lies in the hands of those he betrayed.

This article was published by TheFence.com.