How does one ask a man to be the last one to die for a mistake.
That, or something very much like that, was part of the young John Kerry’s remarks when he testified before the Senate Committee after he returned from the Vietnam War.
It seems to me that, before he went to Vietnam, he was a military innocent — believed that serving the miltary goals of his country was the right thing to do. While there, he became aware of (as he also testified) the raping, the torturing, the senseless killing of innocent Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers. So, he changed his mind about the wisdom of serving that particular goal of his country. And he hung in there as long a he could, did his best, and opted out.
And then he opted into the peace movement. He changed his mind based on his own war experiences.
As someone on tonight’s CNN Born to Run program on Kerry said, anyone who has fought in a war and killed people and doesn’t come back advocating peace — well, there’s something wrong with them.
Kerry’s also accused of changing his mind about supporting the war and on other issues as well. Only simpletons see the Iraq issue as a simple one. And it has only gotten more and more complex since those early Senate votes to support the troops in Iraq.
And only simpleton and untruthful politicians hide from voters how much horse trading they do to get any bill passed that has anything in it that they support. Having worked for a Republican Senate Majority Leader in my home state, let me tell you — it’s a wonder anything good ever gets voted into legislation. Kerry admits that he had to play that political game to get any of his priorities even considered. Only a simpleton would believe that anyone can survive in politics and not spend an awful lot of time struggling to stay afloat the constantly churning political waters. And only a devious politician will deny that it happens. Kerry doesn’t deny it. He understands complexity and, unlike Bush, is not afraid of it.
While Bush gets an idea and holds onto it come hell or high water, Kerry stops, thinks, and is not afraid to change his mind based on experience and evidence. It takes courage to change your mind and leave yourself open to the simplistic criticism of your opponents.
While Bush conspires, Kerry inspires.