The apology that Sen. John F. Kerry never made & that Jane Fonda could still make to win real forgiveness from those most affected.
My 8-29-04 post captioned "Sen. Kerry, the Olympics bring to mind the Greek Tragedies and the word catharsis -- And we Americans are a forgiving people," noted:
A rule in politics is that anyone who picks a fight ought to be prepared to finish it. Because of something Kerry said over 30 years ago, he has picked a fight he cannot completely win, in my opinion, because of something he said during his Congressional testimony in 1972.
Kerry . . . at this point [needs] to put Vietnam behind him and move on.
Kerry needs to eat some crow and apologize about saying, years ago (1972) as a youth, something he didn't really mean and he knows now and knew then was and is not true.
Saying it was a disservice to all who have served this great country, and with this said, Kerry can stand behind his record and move on [with his faltering campaign]. With this behind him, Bush will attack Kerry's volunteering for duty and his service in Vietnam at Bush's peril.
A 12-15-04 post concerned Just For Kerry's trip to Iraq to visit the troops, and this post observed:
[T]he guy just doesn't seem to get it that he lost his bid for the presidency.
This post was entitled "Kerry to visit Iraq. -- Message to soldiers: "Sometimes you need to balance the books one more time before you close them."
The post noted that while meeting with U.S. troops in Iraq, including some from Massachusetts, to thank them for their services, he needed to deliver the following message that this blog advised him to deliver this summer,
but [he] couldn't bring his never erring, proud and elistist persona to do:
Sometime in the future, God willing, each and everyone of you will be returning home after your tour of duty here in Iraq is over. When you return, you will find your fellow countrymen proudly welcoming you back, and many of you will find yellow ribbons awaiting you in your hometowns.
It is in this context and in this company of America's best serving our country here in Iraq that I want to take this opportunity to speak to my fellow Vietnam veterans, and share with them something that has been weighing on my mind and nagging at me.
Given my message, I trust you brave and good soldiers will understand why I wanted to deliver this message in your presence and before you return home and face your fellow Americans.
For indeed, sometimes you need to balance the books one more time before you close them.
To you my fellow Vietnam veterans, I stand here today and say that for my remarks and actions about you many, many years ago, I apologize.
I didn't mean to suggest that you were war criminals. I didn't think that then, and I don't think it now.
To the extent that is how you took the remarks I made years ago as a young man who was full of anger and frustrated with a war I truly thought was for a dubious cause, I apologize.
As Vietnam veterans having fought in that war half way around the globe where most Americans will never go, we knew that Charlie was the enemy. I can only apologize and say I am sorry to the extent my remarks caused some to regard you as such.
For anything and everything I said and did that contributed to causing others upon your return home to call you baby killers and look upon you with disgust and disdain rather than respect and admiration, I say for that I am sorry, truly, truly sorry.
We must this day put aside our past feelings toward each other, and join hands and forces as proud Americans, and being thus united, do all within our power and the power of our blessed country to see that this never, never happen agains to our returning brave soldiers, America's best.
_______________
Why this post at this time? Jane Fonda has been in the news, Hanoi Jane her detractors call her. Saturday I read comments in the AJC exemplified by the following:
"Jane Fonda is a criminal. She gave aid and comfort to the enemy by traveling to North Vietnam. That makes her guilty of treason . . . ."
As far as I am concerned, and as difficult as it is for me to do so, I accept her apology and have forgiven her.
But for the many less forgiving, I do believe that Americans are a forgiving people, and that if Jane Fonda would make a full apology along the line that I suggested that Sen. Kerry make -- one that shows people she truly means it -- many Americans would forgive her.
Why? It would appear to come from her heart rather than just her head.
A rule in politics is that anyone who picks a fight ought to be prepared to finish it. Because of something Kerry said over 30 years ago, he has picked a fight he cannot completely win, in my opinion, because of something he said during his Congressional testimony in 1972.
Kerry . . . at this point [needs] to put Vietnam behind him and move on.
Kerry needs to eat some crow and apologize about saying, years ago (1972) as a youth, something he didn't really mean and he knows now and knew then was and is not true.
Saying it was a disservice to all who have served this great country, and with this said, Kerry can stand behind his record and move on [with his faltering campaign]. With this behind him, Bush will attack Kerry's volunteering for duty and his service in Vietnam at Bush's peril.
A 12-15-04 post concerned Just For Kerry's trip to Iraq to visit the troops, and this post observed:
[T]he guy just doesn't seem to get it that he lost his bid for the presidency.
This post was entitled "Kerry to visit Iraq. -- Message to soldiers: "Sometimes you need to balance the books one more time before you close them."
The post noted that while meeting with U.S. troops in Iraq, including some from Massachusetts, to thank them for their services, he needed to deliver the following message that this blog advised him to deliver this summer,
but [he] couldn't bring his never erring, proud and elistist persona to do:
Sometime in the future, God willing, each and everyone of you will be returning home after your tour of duty here in Iraq is over. When you return, you will find your fellow countrymen proudly welcoming you back, and many of you will find yellow ribbons awaiting you in your hometowns.
It is in this context and in this company of America's best serving our country here in Iraq that I want to take this opportunity to speak to my fellow Vietnam veterans, and share with them something that has been weighing on my mind and nagging at me.
Given my message, I trust you brave and good soldiers will understand why I wanted to deliver this message in your presence and before you return home and face your fellow Americans.
For indeed, sometimes you need to balance the books one more time before you close them.
To you my fellow Vietnam veterans, I stand here today and say that for my remarks and actions about you many, many years ago, I apologize.
I didn't mean to suggest that you were war criminals. I didn't think that then, and I don't think it now.
To the extent that is how you took the remarks I made years ago as a young man who was full of anger and frustrated with a war I truly thought was for a dubious cause, I apologize.
As Vietnam veterans having fought in that war half way around the globe where most Americans will never go, we knew that Charlie was the enemy. I can only apologize and say I am sorry to the extent my remarks caused some to regard you as such.
For anything and everything I said and did that contributed to causing others upon your return home to call you baby killers and look upon you with disgust and disdain rather than respect and admiration, I say for that I am sorry, truly, truly sorry.
We must this day put aside our past feelings toward each other, and join hands and forces as proud Americans, and being thus united, do all within our power and the power of our blessed country to see that this never, never happen agains to our returning brave soldiers, America's best.
_______________
Why this post at this time? Jane Fonda has been in the news, Hanoi Jane her detractors call her. Saturday I read comments in the AJC exemplified by the following:
"Jane Fonda is a criminal. She gave aid and comfort to the enemy by traveling to North Vietnam. That makes her guilty of treason . . . ."
As far as I am concerned, and as difficult as it is for me to do so, I accept her apology and have forgiven her.
But for the many less forgiving, I do believe that Americans are a forgiving people, and that if Jane Fonda would make a full apology along the line that I suggested that Sen. Kerry make -- one that shows people she truly means it -- many Americans would forgive her.
Why? It would appear to come from her heart rather than just her head.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 5:18 AM
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