It's obviously a film made by people sympathetic to John Kerry. Several of the people interviewed present themselves as lifelong friends of Mr. Kerry. You can pick through the hype and get a good snapshot of what was going on in America in the late 1960's and early 70's.
It was a time of social change, much of it driven by America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Without understanding something about that background I belive it is impossible to make an informed decision regarding John Kerry's qualificatons to serve as commander and chief. In particular if you are going to base that decision on The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attack ads or on the upcoming "documentary" Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal that is being forced on 62 affiliates of the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
It's important to understand the founder of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group John Oneill was handpicked in 1971 by Charles Colson Richard Nixon's "hatchet man" to try and discredit John Kerry. Earlier this year the Houston Chronicle cited a June 15, 1971 memo from Colson that stated "Let's destroy this young demagogue before he becomes another Ralph Nader."
You need to read and understand the context of the times to make an informed decision here gentlemen and gentlewomen. I humbly suggest you view the John Kerry "Going Upriver" movie to give yourselve's a broader perspective.
After you have done that I would consider the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Republican Connection and ask yourself if you would want to be associated with a campaign started by the Nixon whitehouse, one of the most corrupt administrations our nation has ever seen, and carried forward today by the Bush/Cheney group.
I have to ask myself and other parents if you would be more comfortable having Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld who have never experienced war making the decision to send your sons or daughters to war or someone who had some first hand knowledge?
For people who question John Kerry's length of service in Vietnam I have to wonder if a day on a swift boat on the Mekong Delta River systems in 1967 might seem like a hundred years.
I have to imagine, not having been there, that the experience of Vietnam veterans is varied. What John Kerry and the people speaking in the Going Upriver movie saw and speak about, is most likely very different that what other participants saw. Depends on where you were and when you were there I imagine. I can see why there are some very emotional difficult issues people have and why there is such strong feelings. If you listen to John Kerry speak though he did not say he or people he saw committed war crimes...he is not criticizing the warriors. He is criticizing the war, or more precisely the administration and military leaders decisions on how to wage that war.
I belive most people would like to put what happened to us 30 years ago in context, as history to learn from, and concentrate on what we do as we go forward as a nation when it comes to sacrificing our young men and women's lives and those of innocent non-combatants.
All I ask is that you try and gather all the facts and not make decisions based on short incomplete news clips or biased opinions of large commercial media commentators.
We have a free flow of information in our great country. Take advantage of it.
---------------------------------------------
One thing that struck me as uplifting at the end of the movie Upriver was that the participants had hope. They were glad to be alive. They worked to change things for the better.
In a Buddhist viewpoint our lives our filled with suffering. There is no other way. In a Christian viewpoint we accept as unanswerable the question, "why do bad things happen to good people."
We have faith that we will become enlightened and that when people do suffer it is eventually for some higher purpose....not necessarily one we as humans would be able to comprehend.
As Time Magazine writed Greg Burke/Rome says in this review of the film It's a Beautiful Life,
"Life really is beautiful--at least for those fortunate enough to survive."
