Bill's Notes

[Industrialblog, April 21, 2004]
Beats getting shot at, though
I'm currently writing the third straight story on fraud-on-the-market presumption of reliance. Did all the judges go to a seminar and now it's all, presumption of reliance? Very exciting stuff.

Of course, there are worse jobs. See title, above.

*****

BTW, a friend of mine had a good line when talking about John Kerry's Purple Hearts: "There's nothing particularly difficult about getting shot in a combat zone. You just stand up. Not getting shot, now that's something."
Harry (mail):
This reminds me of something that was making the rounds on the Internet during the last election. There was a photo of one of the candidates (the one who had actually BEEN in Vietnam, serving with the Army in a non-combat role) apparently mishandling his rifle in a fairly serious way. (I can't determine if this photo is real, fake, or a trick of perspective, though Urban Legend website Snopes.com reproduces it here without specific comment.)

Anyway, when some of my friends waved this photo in front of me as proof of this candidate's idiocy (possibly in an attempt to place him on an intellectual level with the candidate they supported), I just pointed out that you wouldn't find any photos of his draft-dodging opponent mishandling HIS weapons during the war. (Well, he might have been drunk or coked-up in the one photo I've seen of him in the cockpit of a fighter jet during his sporadic time with the National Guard, but I don't know that for sure.)

Yes, some people certainly knew how to avoid getting shot in a combat zone back then. I wonder if Dubya would be so eager to join the National Guard now?


4.21.2004 3:20pm
Harry (mail):
Here is the abovementioned link:
http://www.snopes.com/military/goreviet.htm

4.21.2004 3:20pm
ctl (mail) (www):
Oh come. W. joined a national guard unit which was sending members to Vietnam, but stopped shortly before he qualified.

Moreover, he was a pilot, not a desk jockey. He flew actual airplanes that could actually crash and actually kill you. Apparently they weren't the safest planes flown by the military, either.

All of that being said, as I understand it while Kerry might have stretched the truth a little to get his purple hearts, the guy unquestionably showed valor and bravery in combat and saved people's lives. Whether or not his purple hearts are all unimpeachable, the man served bravely and competently during his tour of duty.
4.21.2004 3:21pm
Harry (mail):
Somehow I managed to miss the fact that Snopes had specifically addressed the issue of John Kerry's Purple Hearts at http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp.

And the more I think about it, the more this belittling of a veteran's combat record reminds me of what was done to Max Cleland back in 2002. Or maybe even John McCain back in 2000.

Funny thing is, none of the news outlets I frequent have been treating this as a major news story. So who has? Rush Limbaugh? Ann Coulter? Sean Hannity? Art Bell? Or just the FOX "news" network?
4.21.2004 3:21pm
Bill:
Harry, buddy, what belittling of Kerry's combat record? Are you referring to what I said, or what's in the news, or on freerepublic or something?

All I did was pass on an observation that, yes, it's not particularly difficult to get shot in a combat zone. That's all I said. Neither Chris nor I are belittling Kerry's combat service. You know that I respect folks who put themselves in harm's way. I don't think kery should have to release either his military and especially his medical records. Dude might've gotten non-specific urethritis or something :)


4.21.2004 3:21pm

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