War’s lessons
David SHAW makes some excellent points about the need for the media to focus on the issues we face today rather than how each presidential candidate behaved 30 years ago (“Presidential Campaigns are Stuck in the Spin Cycle,” Sept. 19). But I think his assertion about minimizing discussion of the candidates’ military records regarding Vietnam misses a key point.
Vietnam is relevant because John Kerry volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours of duty on a dangerous Swift Boat. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, however, all stayed home either through deferments or National Guard positions. And the difference is not about who won medals or didn’t show up for a physical but rather what they learned from their experiences that drives their actions today.
If Bush and his neoconservative chicken hawks had actually gone to Vietnam, America might not be stuck in the Iraq quagmire we are today.
Kerry Bradley
Glendale
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