Anyone have info re Kerry speech Saturday? Could it be just coincidence

[blm]

that April 22 is also the 35th anniversary of Kerry's testimony to Congress and urged ending the war in Vietnam?

If anyone knows what's up with this speech, please spill.

[MaineDem]

1. Got this in the mail

Dear fellow vets,

It’s Patriots’ Day, and I wanted to say to you again, “Thank you for your service to our country.” When it counted, when not everyone followed your lead, you left your family and friends, put on a uniform, and served our country with honor and courage. Thank you ... you are the best.

I also want to make sure that you know that on Saturday, April 22nd, our friend John Kerry is going to be speaking on a subject that is at the very core of why we put on a uniform and served. John is going to speak on dissent in our country – the right of patriotic people to speak out – and why that right is now under assault. John wants to talk about some things that he has been thinking about and which have been important to him all his years in public life. He’d like to have “a very personal discussion about the meaning and responsibility of freedom and the enormous challenges our country faces as our soldiers are fighting and dying in a war that has gone off course, with dissent and debate stifled here at home.”

As you know, vets are special to John; he honors and appreciates our service like few others. I hope you and your family will join John, other vets, and friends of John’s for this discussion. John will speak at Faneuil Hall, Boston, at 10:30 AM on Saturday, April 22, 2006. Admission is free, but space is limited, so please RSVP today at this link:

http://www.johnkerry.com/events/042206_boston_form.html


For us vets, this is a great chance to see old friends and to be part of a critical and timely discussion with John about freedom and democracy in our country. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

John

[blm]

2. Thanks, MaineDem - I didn't know you were a vet.

.

[MaineDem]

6. My husband is

He's a ludite and doesn't like email so I get it all. :D

[blm]

11. Heh - well, thanks and a salute to a vet AND his wife.

.

[zann725]

12. Any chance CSPAN might broadcast it for those of us unable to attend?

It sounds REAL significant, and should be shared by all.

Should we do a write-in request to CSPAN about this? Or is it already being taken care of?

[rox63]

15. I'd recommend calling or emailing them about it

If they get bunch of requests, they are more likely to broadcast it.

[blm]

16. We probably have to force Cspan to carry it - Kerry's a Dem, after all.

And you know how Cspan likes to ignore Dems.

[GDAEx2]

3. Also Earth Day.

eom

[MH1]

5. Good point...

Earth day is also of big importance to Kerry, as I understand it.

However this seems more likely to closely tie with the SFRC appearance, especially since it's the 35th anniversary, and it is so meaningful in relation to what is going on today.

[blm]

8. I hope he notes how activists like Cindy Sheehan are targeted by the WH in

the same co-ordinated fashion as he has known for so many decades starting with his dissent then.

[MH1]

9. Hard to say, but I'd tentatively predict that he'd

at least give an oblique reference, if not something more direct.

Something interesting about the relationship between John and Cindy. When he met with her, he wasn't on the "out now" page yet - in other words he didn't agree with her on the policy solution - but still she had favorable things to say about him after their meeting. I think she felt that he listened to her and respected her views, which is a lot more than she got from some other people.

[blm]

10. I can't even IMAGINE him disrespecting her views or the views of ANYONE

who dissents from their government on issues of war.

He just isn't wired to disrespect the soldier, military families or anti-war protestors.

[MH1]

13. Neither can I

but as I recall Cindy was pretty critical of some she met with who didn't share her views (not passing judgement here myself folks). The interesting thing is that while Kerry didn't agree with her position (the "out now" part anyway, at that time) she really seemed to appreciate his attitude more than she did some of the others.

[MH1]

4. A couple threads in the Kerry forum

but you probably saw them...mostly speculation (and the usual Kerry fandom digressions ;-) ) after someone posted the letter.

[blm]

7. I will now.

I sometimes forget to check in there. ;)

[rox63]

14. I'm planning to be there

And I expect a barn-burner of a speech. :D

[LittleClarkie]

17. Coincidence hell

No I don't think it's a coincidence. He's given anniversary speeches before. I remember during the campaign when he went to Cincinnati and stood exactly where Bush had stood as he made his case for war, and talked about how we'd been misled.

Oh, I hope it's covered by CSPAN.

[blm]

18. I remember that clear as a bell. He was all over Bush's Iraq policy like

a swarm of killer bees.

Too bad it was under-covered by the corporate media.... they were busy chewing up Dan Rather, then.