Vietnam and the Presidency

In response to “Vietnam Era’s Hold on America,” March 5:

I agree that the ’92 campaign has released some old demons and forced us to examine what we’ve tried to forget. It is healthy to evaluate our past, especially the painful memories we sometimes try to bury. The so-called emotional baggage you refer to has another name--history. If we as a nation shed the emotional baggage on issues such as Vietnam, we will lose our perspective and repeat the mistakes of the past. There is no emotional statute of limitations, as President Bush has told us. In fact, that is just what the Vietnam War Memorial is saying: Never forget!

I think Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton is an honest person (as far as politicians go) and is courageous to stay with the convictions he had during the Vietnam era.

This fall my family and I plan to vacation in Washington and will return in time to vote in the November election. I plan to carry my emotional baggage not only to the wall, but to the polling booth as well.

STEPHEN K. KYSOR, Garden Grove