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It's About Honor

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Will Morris

Dear BuzzFlash,

Today, April 25, 2004, the following exchange took place on Face the Nation, between Bob Schieffer and Senator John McCain:

SCHIEFFER: Senator McCain, one of your fellow Republicans lit into Senator Kerry his week, called him Hanoi John for some of his anti-war rhetoric. Do you think that this criticism of John Kerry is justified?

Sen. McCAIN: I'd like to see us put the war that was over more than 30 years ago behind us. I've spent the last 30 years trying to heal the wounds of the war and help our Vietnam veterans come all the way home, resolving the POW-MIA issue which I worked with John Kerry on, and normous--normalization in--of relations in others. We have enormous challenges facing America. I believe that President Bush served honorably in the National Guard. I believe that John Kerry served honorably, and I wish we would move forward and face the challenges that lie ahead of us. I don't think most Americans are enjoying this.

With all due respect to Senator McCain, the issue here is NOT the Vietnam War era. The issue here is simple honor. Senator Kerry does not have to claim he served honorably. His service record speaks for itself.

On the other hand, Bush's claims to have served honorably are at variance with his military record, which he promised to release a couple of months ago -- not thirty years ago, and which he still is not doing to this very day. It's obvious that he has absolutely no intention of doing so. This also speaks for itself.

Unlike George Bush's record, there is no military record of John Kerry being removed from active combat status for failing to perform his physical. George Bush's military record should contain orders restoring him to active flying status, as well as an official inquiry into why he failed to perform his required physical, which led to his mandatory grounding. This is NOT a record of honorable service, as anyone who has ever been in the armed forces knows full well.

George Bush's claims are contradicted by existing military records.

George Bush's known military records document a serious breach of duty, yet provide no documentation that this dereliction was ever rectified. On the contrary, they strongly suggest that he disregarded the last eighteen months of his military obligations -- that in fact, he was AWOL for lengthy periods of time which, by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, does technically fall within the definition of Desertion (AWOL for 30 continuous days or more).

To be fair to George Bush, the record does indicate that he reported to the dentist.

But where are those mysteriously missing 'complete military records' George Bush has promised to reveal? Are they hidden somewhere along with those mysteriously missing WMD -- which he has also promised to reveal?

This is NOT about Vietnam thirty years ago. This is about honor-- both thirty years ago, and now.

We who served honorably are waiting...

Will Morris
Crawfordville, FL

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION