Dragging the Candidates Through Vietnam Mud

Republicans’ attempts to tie decorated Vietnam War hero Sen. John Kerry to Jane Fonda, as demonstrated in Michael Ramirez’s Feb. 17 editorial cartoon (Commentary), reek of desperation and hypocrisy. Kerry served his country, was injured in combat and, after seeing firsthand what was happening in Vietnam, made the decision to try to prevent more deaths by joining other veterans who were against the war.

President Bush, on the other hand, reportedly supported the war (as his congressman father most certainly did), but when it looked like he might have to actually go and serve, opted out for a National Guard stint that precluded him from ever having to go to Vietnam. His connections allowed him to be put at the top of a waiting list and “earned” him an early officer’s commission. On one hand we have someone standing for what he believed in, and on the other hand we have the dictionary definition of a “chicken hawk.”

Bill Tapp

San Diego

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Ramirez’s cartoon showing Kerry with “Hanoi Jane” reaffirms what I have maintained all along about this guy. The cartoon is untrue, it is partisan and, worst of all, it is unfunny. Get rid of him.

Jeff Wolfe

Granada Hills

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How about a cartoon of Bush sitting in a Houston cantina, sipping three margaritas and then casually remarking to an acquaintance: “I’ll just reschedule tomorrow’s pilot physical”?

Edward Kaz

West Hills

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Discussion of Bush’s military record is a diversion from the real question of who is best qualified to be our commander in chief in a time of peril. After the eight long years of the Clinton presidency, the members of our armed forces were glad to once again have a commander in chief they could respect.

To vote for the Democratic candidate this fall would be to spit in the face of those who have volunteered to defend America by forcing them to once more serve under a commander in chief not worthy of respect. Anyone who doubts this should try making the acquaintance of those who serve our country.

Arthur Larsen

Los Alamitos

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Re “Vietnam War Illuminates, Shadows Kerry’s Campaign,” Feb. 17: Let’s see. If you didn’t fight in the Vietnam War and didn’t protest, you’re a selfish coward. If you didn’t fight, but protested, you’re a high-handed moralist. If you fought, but didn’t protest, you’re a sadistic killer. And if you fought and protested, you’re a betrayer of soldiers. Looks to me that no matter what you did or said, you’d be blamed anyway by someone or other.

All in all, I admire Kerry. By going to the war, he obeyed the commands of his country. By protesting after his return, he obeyed the commands of his conscience. To me, John Kerry is both principled and a patriot. Kerry is a true hero.

Arun Iyengar

San Gabriel

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So, Lt. Bush had to endure a.m. scrambles that took him over the “shark-filled Gulf of Mexico” (Feb. 16). One question. How many of those sharks were wearing black pajamas and carrying AK-47s?

Neal R. Burger

San Pedro

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As a student activist during the ‘60s and ‘70s, I encouraged people like Bush to walk away from their military posts. Why should I blame him now for evidently doing what I then would have called “screwing up the war machine”?

At any rate, the twentysomething Bush isn’t running for reelection. The fiftysomething Bush is, and I find a sufficient number of reasons to vote against him without going back to Vietnam and reliving the rancor and the bitterness.

Daniel Nussbaum

Los Angeles