SwiftVets.com

[Me#1You#10]

Yet another editor dis or mis-informing his readers. Anyone in the mood for a BOR-esque "pithy opine" to the Santa Maria Times?

[BenDeR]

I'm thinking we could benefit from a division of labor.
Me#1You#10 and others are on top of finding ignorant reporters. Some of our posters have written beautiful and compelling rebutals to previous distorted stories. A coordinated effort between these skillsets could have profound affect.
There are only six weeks left in this drama and this is when it all counts.
_________________
USMC res 3rd ANGLICO
1986 - 1988

"Retreat hell! We just got here!"
Capt. Lloyd Williams, USMC

[Bob Chamberlain]

I sent the following email to the Santa Maria Times. It would not hurt at all to send similar emails to every news outlet you can think of. If we can get the news media to look at the evidence presented at the Stolen Honor, Winter Soldier and KerryLied sites, I can't help but believe that they will be moved in our direction to at least some degree. And if that simply means that they become truly neutral, that is a win for our side.

Sirs;

John Kerry is honored by the communists for his contribution to
their victory in Vietnam. His picture hangs in the War Remnants
Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in a room dedicated
to the foreign activists who contributed to the communist victory.
If John Kerry is a hero to our enemy, how can he not be a traitor
to America? Full story at http://www.kerrylied.com

John Kerry became a leader of the antiwar movement, largely to
promote his own political career. Even his own "brothers" in
the antiwat movement were suspicious of his motives and began
to distrust him. Excerpts from FBI field surveillance reports at:
http://www.betrayed-vietnam-vet.info/files/KerryTheOpportunist.pdf

In furtherance of his antiwar "image", John Kerry concocted a litany
of false atrocity charges that he used in testimony before Congress
and in any number of press interviews to discredit our nation and our
military. Full story at http://www.wintersoldier.com

John Kerry's statements were of material harm to our American POW's
in Vietnamese hands and contributed to extending the Vietnam War
by at least 2 years. As such, John Kerry is partly responsible for the
deaths of over 45,000 US and allied service members. Very clear
and moving testimony on this point can be found in the video clips at:
http://www.stolenhonor.com/documentary/samples.asp

I could go on at some length. These few examples by no means
represent the full extent of John Kerry's betrayal of our nation. How
can America even consider electing a man with this record as
President? Does it really matter what John Kerry did 30 years ago?
It damned sure does!!! And we are not forgetting!!!
_________________
Bob

Useful anti-Kerry campaign material at:
http://www.betrayed-vietnam-vet.info

[wvobiwan]

Here's my letter, I concentrated more on tying his past behavior to present circumstances, couldn't resist a dig at their new club membership...:>)


Subject: What Swift Boat Vet charges have been proven false?

Saw your 'editorial', "Time to focus on real issues" of Sept. 19, 2004 on line.

In case you are not aware I'd like to bring it to your attention: Did you know that due to your completely amusing editorial the Santa Maria Times has now joined here in cyberspace a 'distinguished' club of laughing stocks in the printed news media? Your new club is composed of so-called newspapers that play fast and loose with the truth, and refuse to report it when it doesn't suit its biased views.

Your editorial is all over the Internet by now, and I'm sure many folks will be responding to your amazing lack of integrity about your Swift Boat allegations and that editorial in general. In particular, I'd like to take issue with two sentences that are complete fabrications, and proven so:

"First, Republicans took a crack at Democrat John Kerry through a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose claim is that Kerry, a decorated officer who volunteered and served briefly in the Vietnam war, lied about his service record and didn't deserve his medals.

Those charges have mostly been proven false by the facts of the case."

To use your sentence structure: First, Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth are in fact made up of registered Independants, Democrats, and yes, Republicans. But to imply in your editorial that Republicans are somehow behind the Swift Boat Vets is at best inferring a relationship between the RNC or President Bush and the Vets that does not exist, and at worst sleazily insinuates some official connection. This is clearly an attempt to unfairly characterize the Swift Vets as RNC pawns, and I'm sure you will hear from them that they resent it.

But the most aggregious departure from the facts is your assertion that the "charges have mostly been proven false by the facts of the case." Of the Swift Boat Vet charges laid out in their book, Unfit for Command (have you even read it?), NONE, that's right, ZERO, have been proven false. Some have in fact been proven true, such as the "Christmas in Cambodia" incident and his Bronze Star (the Rassmann incident) to name a few.

However, I will grant you that more of the Swift Vet charges could be proven false, or true, if Senator Kerry would only sign the Form 180 and release his records as President Bush has done at Kerry's insistance. What does Kerry have to hide? Will you find out, or does your journalistic duty only apply to opponents of your candidate (who judging from your slanted editorial must be Kerry)?

While I agree with one statement in your editorial that we should also talk about the issues currently facing this country, I strongly disagree with your overall contention that we should put Vietnam behind us. Kerry's behavior in and especially after Vietnam is important to understand given the fact that we are at war with terrorism, here's why:

Vietnam Vets are voters too, and they have lots of friends and family, like me. They, along with much of America, see the same type of behavior in John Kerry and the leftist media (such as, I suspect, yourselves) that extended the Vietnam war when we had it won, happening TODAY regarding Iraq. Attempts to divide the US by lopsided (overwhelmingly negative) coverage of the war, vile acusations of conspiracy and lies, reporting every protest and contrary word, playing on sympathies of grieving families - we've all seen this before starting back in the late sixties. And we do NOT have short attention spans about treason and betrayal.

The only thing missing from the current state of affairs is Kerry visiting Osama and Muqtada to get marching orders - as he met with reps. from the NVA 30 years ago. I think there are many current soldiers that blame much of the post-Iraqi war deaths of American soldiers on anti-war demonstrators and the back-peddling rhetoric of the likes of Sen. Kerry, Gov. Dean, and the DNC. Like the NVA in Vietnam, terrorists and insurgents hope to feed this preceived split aided and abetted by leftist media and folks like Hanoi John. I can call him that, my father is one of the folks he falsely accused of atrocities in 1971, and I, for one, will never forgive him for that. Kid's called my father a baby killer to my face when I was a young boy, usually no more than once - I took strong exception to it, but I think that's something my father will never forgive either.

Vietnam today has an honored exhibit in its war museum for John Kerry, he's a hero to the Vietnamese communists that run that country with an iron fist. General Giap stated that North Vietnam only kept fighting after 1968 because of folks like John Kerry, Tom Hayden, and Jane Fonda. This country will continue to talk about Vietnam until these folks and the media understand that they were wrong to divide this country; it cost American soldiers their lives, not to mention millions of innocent Vietnamese lives after the US pulled out. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now about Iraq.

AMERICANS WIILL NOT SEE THIS HAPPEN IN IRAQ. Kerry already has promised to pull the troops out in 4 years. What Kerry's told the terrorists by that statement is that it's negotiable - all they have to do is continue fighting, General Giap would agree. Based upon your editorial it would seem that you and your newspaper are part of the problem, we in the blogoshere all over the US and even the world intend to see that you no longer can hurt or kill our soldiers with your ignorance and yellow journalism.

We will continue to call attention to your bias, you cannot sweep this under the rug by calling it "unfortunate" - that is perhaps the most personally insulting part of your editorial.

Doug
Harpers Ferry, WV

PS: I also noticed in your wonderfully fair and balanced editorial that you neglected to mention that the National Guard accusations against Bush were based upon documents that have widely been accepted as forgeries.
_________________
Doug
"Proud of my Dad, 2-tour veteran of VN."
Kerry/Edwards Foreign Policy Slogan: Accept our surrender or we'll sue!

[BenDeR]

That's what I'm talking about re: Bob Chamberlain and wvobiwan.
_________________
USMC res 3rd ANGLICO
1986 - 1988

"Retreat hell! We just got here!"
Capt. Lloyd Williams, USMC

[dmackto]

What I sent:

[wvobiwan]

[Me#1You#10]

[Kathy Kay]

OK, here's my own e-mail to the paper:

I have heard it repeated many times that the Swift Boat Veterans' charges "have mostly been proven false by the facts of the case" as you state in your piece. Please show me where, when, and how. Despite seeing it repeated as fact over and over again, I have yet to see that be the case. What I have found is that the Swift Boat information has brought to light the personality of the person who wants to be Commander in Chief, something for which I am eternally grateful.

Mr. Kerry has not and cannot refute his appearance before Congress testifying to "atrocities." The only excuse I have heard for that behavior is that he was repeating what someone else said but he is proud for having done it as an expression of his First Amendment rights. Firstly, repeating what someone else said to establish the truth of the matter asserted therein makes the repeater as culpable for the statements as the original speaker. Secondly, while the First Amendment does in some cases protect even untruths, I hardly find it laudible to testify under oath to those untruths, particularly when (as here) it could and did lead to torture of other American soldiers and when (as here) it was stated with an eye toward personal agrandizement and a desire to hoist oneself into the national spotlight.

While I agree with your premise -- that we should be focusing on now -- no one can deny that Mr. Kerry is as guilty as anyone of keeping us looking backward instead of forward. To the extent his doing so has allowed the actions perpetuated by him 30+ years ago to be highlighted, thereby giving a forum for those hurt by those actions and perhaps some closure for them, then I say it's a good thing. But I will continue to challenge publications like yours who blithely state that the Swift Boat Vets have perpetuated untruths when it is they who have done the greatest service to this country in this election, and that is to tell (or attempt to tell anyone who would truly listen) exactly whom it is who wishes to be leader of this country.


No doubt this will get the same response as all others -- nothing.

[scotty61]

If we are going to start sending letters to papers, perhaps a short discussion of style is in order. I've been sending letters to the editor for about 15 years with a high print percentage and learned some things along the way.

1. Be respectful. Do not fall to the temptation of insulting the paper or who ever you are responding to. This greatly reduces your chance of being printed and casts a pall over the rest of your points, no matter how reasonable.

2. Remember your target audience. If you are writing to the paper alone, you don't need to be printed. If you want to reach the readers, you need to be printed, so lay your argument out in a reasonable way. Don't force the reader to agree with you, make him want to.

3. If the paper has titles for each letter, find a way to include a "hook" in your letter. If the editor can see the title in his mind's eye while reading your letter, you're half way home to being printed.

4. Let the letter set for at least 4 hours after you write it, then reread it. You will often find that you can use other language to better state your point and some points that were in your head may not have been put down.

5. I have to add one more, stay on message. Pick a central theme and stick to it.

Hope this is some help.

[WebTalk]

Time to focus on real issues
Santa Maria Times
Sunday, September 19, 2004

I wonder why they feel that way?
I think the "real issues" have been the focus, unless they are saying it's
time for the Kerry campaign to "FOCUS".
But we all know there is NO focus in camp Kerry. It's all nuance.

The "real issue" is who is fit to command our nation in this historic
time of war. Who will deal with the harsh realities of protecting the
American people? One candidate has a record of batting 1000%
the past 3 years. The other also has a record of leadership in
the Senate the past 20 years.

It's really not that difficult. Is it?
Steadfast leadership vs nuance.
_________________
America voted for solid LEADERSHIP and gave "W" a mandate to carry on.
God Blessed America! Again!

[Wynne]

I used to be the 'Letters to the Editor' editor for the Raleigh News and Observer and I am incensed at what I see written in the Santa Maria Times and other newspapers. My current crusade is to write letters of response, telling the truth wherever I see it lacking. Thank you, Me#1You#10, for the heads up on the Google alert feature.

Here is my letter (first time posting here -- I am very grateful for what you all are doing!)

*************************


Editor, Santa Maria Times

I appreciate your piece (9/19) urging both presidential campaigns to address issues of current and urgent import to our country and the world. You are right: This is exactly what is needed.

The Republican campaign has been doing this right along while the Democrats, who began their campaign by focusing their convention on John Kerry's 4 months in Viet Nam, are still there. They have yet to come into the 21st Century on the issues.

These are the facts, should you care to look into them:

1) President George W. Bush has never criticized Senator John Kerry's service in Viet Nam; in fact, he has praised Sen. Kerry's service. John Kerry has criticized George Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard several times over, accusing him of 'draft dodging' and thereby insulting everyone who has ever and is now serving in our country's National Guard.

2) The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a non-partisan group, and not an arm of the Republican Party. Its president, John O'Neill actually voted for Al Gore in the last election. The 60 members of SBVT cited in the book 'Unfit for Command' served with John Kerry in Viet Nam longer than his 'band of brothers' he brought to the Democratic Convention stage some of whom knew him for no longer than one week and one of whom knew him for one day!

3) By no stretch of the imagination can any of the statements of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about John Kerry's 4-month 'tour of duty' in Viet Nam be said to have been 'mostly proven false'. In fact, the Kerry campaign itself has admitted that two of their charges are true, i.e. that Kerry was never in Cambodia and that his first Purple Heart was received from a self-inflicted wound. I have yet to see any member of the news media examine fairly and in depth the charges brought by the SBVT as they have done with President Bush's TANG records. Where is the AP on this? Why aren't they suing for John Kerry to sign Form 180 and release all his records? George W. Bush months ago had all his records released under executive order.

My uncle received a Purple Heart in WWII -- posthumously. My uncle was killed in action on Okinawa for his Purple Heart. He was 25 years old and left a widow and two little boys. All my growing up years, his Purple Heart was displayed proudly beneath his photograph in the uniform of the United States Army in my grandparents' home -- my grandparents, who were immigrants to the United States. Their only son died for my freedom, for your freedom, for John Kerry's freedom.

Honor his memory and the memory of all those who have fought and died and been seriously wounded in the service of our country. Get your facts straight and tell the truth about John Kerry!

[Otis]

[drjohn]

My letter--

"Is anyone surprised that the presidential campaigns have become mired in events that occurred three decades ago?

First, Republicans took a crack at Democrat John Kerry through a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose claim is that Kerry, a decorated officer who volunteered and served briefly in the Vietnam war, lied about his service record and didn't deserve his medals.

Those charges have mostly been proved false by the facts of the case."

Would you care to offer the least evidence of truth of this assertion? It seems to me that it is Kerry's accounts of Vietnam are in grave doubt- including his claim of the first and third Purple Hearts, the account of killing a wounded, fleeing VC, and Christmas in Cambodia.

Do you think that it is important to have any proof of the assertions one makes, especially in the venue of public trust?

Sincerely,

[Wynne]