There's a book cover from an anti-war book written by Kerry in the early 70s which depicted "several unkempt youths crudely handling an American flag to mock the famous photo of the U.S. Marines at Iwo Jima".
The right wing is going to try to use this against Kerry if he is the nominee.
(Full disclosure about me: I used to be a Deaniac, now Kerry's fine with me if he's nominated.)
Supposedly this anti-war book cover of Kerry's was perceived as damaging back during elections he was running in in the 70s, and the photo is very hard to find.
But of course, it's alrady on NewsMax and it's gonna circulate like wildfire on the web. You can't buy up most existing copies of a photo in the age of the Internet.
So I think it's best to get this photo out in the open now and DEAL WITH IT.
Some points I could make about this photo:
(1) As far as I understand, it's not a pic of the young Kerry himself. (Someone please confirm.)
(2) The American flag is displayed upside down. Totally legal and highly effective communication - protected by the First Amendment. No problem there. An upside-down flag (as opposed, say, to a burning flag) would have been very much within the bounds of "community standards" for that turbulent post-60s time. (Heck, how many people stick their US postage stamp showing a flag upside-down on the envelope.)
(3) I think it's actually better for a young man to have FOUGHT in the Vietnam, learned something, and then come home and be man enough to admit that he's matured in his views and now that he knows what war is about, he's not so gung-ho about it in all cases. This shows a lot more wisdom and bravery and Personal Responsibility(TM-R) than using Daddy's connections to join the National Guard and then go aWoL (possibly to avoid drug testing) and then lie about the whole thing later. Kerry went to war, came back, decided he opposed that war, and had the guts and the honesty to write a book about it. Not a whole lot different from the outlook of many war-experienced veterans.
So I'm saying - don't be ashamed of this picture. No matter what you personally think of the Vietnam war, Kerry's actions show bravery and character.
Don't let the right-wing echo chamber spin it any other way. And believe me, they will. "Remember Max Cleland!"
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/1/20/131219.shtmlGet this photo out into the dicussion NOW - so that it won't be something Karl Rove can pull out of his hat the last week before the election to clinch the inevitable media-fabricated "horse race". Get it out there and defuse it now so it'll be "old news" by then. Been there, done that.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
