Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
Oh, get off your high horses. You deride the nature of a decorated veteran's service simply because you don't like his politics.
High Horse? How the hell do you get that I'm speaking from a morally elevated position by saying that he's full of it. Unlike him, I have respect for people that risk their lives in the service of their country, whether they get injured in the process or not. Has he done more military service than myself? Yes. But to walk around with his chin high, accepting some sort of Hero Status is a sanctimonious, shameful appeal for publicity.
He's not just a plain and simple Veteran. He's a candidate for the presidency of MY country. The guy that's going to make huge decisions regarding the use of my tax dollars. I have every right to scrutinize his claims.
You know, it's ironic. I had two great uncles in the Red army who served for the duration of WWII, beginning to end. Anatoly and Nusin. One of them wasn't even issued a proper rifle when he saw his first day of action. One of them, who'd started the war as a 17 year old kid, was there the day Berlin fell. They both eventually moved to the states, as old men, and I got to see them very often and know them very well. Anatoly has never said a word to me about the war, so I had to get my stories from his wife and his son. One night about two years ago, Nusin sat down with me and talked for three hours about his experiences, until he got too tired and had to go lay down. My dad, who'd been in the room with us when he was talking, said to me later that he'd never heard him speak of the war prior to that night. Not once. That was the last time I ever saw Nusin. He died of cancer three weeks later.
Both men lived long lives after the war. Both heard requests for tales of glory and honor and sacrifice from the younger generations. Neither said a damned thing, with the exception of the one night where the man knew it was the last time anybody would ask him that question. The things he told me came with difficulty, and with tears.
Kerry is not cut from the same cloth.
