I don't know where the "SBLive" in the first sentence came from, it should say "John Kerry".

If the military chose to give the awards, then that is the government screwing up once again - and just another tall Bush tale to elaborate on. I know a guy who got a purple heart for burns suffered when a field privy exploded from methane gas. He was there, he got injured because he was there and doesn't that really say it? If he wasn't there, would he have suffered the injuries, whether a scratch or whether he was killed? Just one more bullshit political piece of crap! Wouldn't it be nice to have candidates who NEVER told us what the other guy did or did not do - but rather just told us what he would do if he was elected? Personally, I don't see that any of the crap they throw has anything to do with their ability to be the Prez! Same thing with poor old Clinton - yep, he got a blow-job. So what? So did I, but my employer don't care - don't even want to hear about it.

My bad, I was in the middle of compiling a new kernel and somehow I pasted that in.

Funny, when there was a question about Bush's military record, all the liberals, and their news sources (mainly Clinton news network CNN) were all up in arms, bitching, making it seem like the biggest deal on earth, however once evidence comes out that Kerry may not have been all that he claims, they cower back to the "oh, well its not a big deal" or "this is just more lies spread by the conservatives". I'm not going to say whether or not I am going to believe this story yet or not, I'll look for some verification, but this AC just points out my problem with a lot of the liberals trying to bash Bush while turning their heads to anything critical of Kerry. Ignorance is bliss I suppose.

Indeed.

When it was found that Bush apparently missed some weekend drills with the National Guard, the media were all over it; Demorats were calling for investigations, implying that he's not fit to be Commander in Chief, etc.

This story will get buried faster than a dead gerbil. Maybe Fox News will cover it, but that'll likely be about it.

To be fair, I think too much is being made of a candidates military service over 30 years ago- when I'm in my 50's (assuming I live that long), I sure as hell don't want to be judged by the things I did when I was in my 20's. However, the Demorats fired the first shot, making a big deal out of Bush's National Guard service and how he may have missed some training (from personal experience I can tell you that nearly EVERYONE in the National Guard skips training at some point or another). It's only fair that John Kerry's "war hero" status be questioned, given that he's used his Vietnam record as a campaign issue.

I do find it amusing that Kerry constantly tells us how he doesn't want to make his Vietnam service an issue... yet keeps reminding us of it. It's like the kid who is covered with tattoos, has 20 piercings in his face and a bright green mohawk who makes a loud scene when people look at him- no, he doesn't want to draw attention to himself- not one bit :rolleyes:

Now now, don't lump those of us who enjoy tattoos in with all the attention getters like the face piercers, Hoochie, and the like. I mean really, some of us like our tattoos just because we like them.

All (2) of mine are covered except when I wear a tank-top or wife-beaters. I plan on getting another but it will again be coverable.

Heh, some folks enjoy the tattoos because they are nice. Now some people enjoy the attention. I'm not sure of anyone who walks around with a tattoo showing that doesn't want some kind of attention unless they are old and it's soemthing they regret doing as a kid.

Tattos are not like hoochies. Please be fair and not lump us together. That's like me calling you a tree hugging hippie because you support a business that thrives on keeping trees alive rather than a logging company :D

I didn't lump anyone together- I was clearly referring strictly to the attention-whore freak-show types. I'm sure that in the Seattle area you've seen plenty of the types I'm referring to. Tattoos have become so mainstream that most people hardly give them a second look, unless they're on a person's face or something.

Well in seattle they try to get attention. They don't do it and say stop.

Now as for the tattoos becoming mainstream. It's not that big of a deal. I got mine for me. I don't care who else has them and I'm not impressed with the tacky ones that are out there. (Hula chicks, battleships, skulls, roses, etc.)

But yeah, I don't give other's tatts much of a look. Even when they are on an attention getting area like a neck or face I just ignore it. Attention whores who get tatts just for attention suck. I will go out of my way to look at them like they are completely normal so they don't get any gratification for acting or looking like an asshat. (This goes for the face piercers and dorks that play with their stupid tongue piercings, etc.)

I once dyed my hair just because I thought it would be fun and I did ti for me. I didn't care for the attention it got so I would wear a hat out in public. Eventually I got tired of that so I just shaved my head and let it grow back in fresh.

The attention whores sicken me. If you don't want attention at least try to avoid it hmmm? :D

I get so confused. First it was Montel Williams on JAG trying to expose a guy lying about his record, then that slanderous material they put put about Jesse Ventura never actually having been in a fight in Viet Nam. Now you're telling me John Kerry lied about his military record? WOW. a New England liberal friend of the Kennedy clan lying. A POLITICIAN lying! So sad to see the best and brightest fall......

If a person is not looking for attention, why would said person tattoo or pierce themselves in the first place?

If this is true that is unfortunate. Claiming to be a war hero when you are not is seriously wrong. Self-inflicting wounds to get out of a war is serious too. However, something doesn't seem right about that story. Why wouldn't many other GI's have done the same? I wasn't alive during this war, but from what I've seen the soldiers did not want to be there and were very scared of dying. I would think more people would have gone for the three purple heart rule to get home.

True or not this allegation has about the same merit of the allegation that GWB went AWOL....not much at all.

Note that Kerry was an officer; had a PFC gone to his superiors asking for a purple heart after getting a scratch, they'd have been told to get lost. It sounds like he more or less submitted himself for the medal and his CO caved to pressure.

Looks like Kerry is starting to get a little (very little from the liberal media, of course) pressure to release his records. After promising on "Meet the Press" to make all his military records available for inspection, his campaign spokesman later reneged, stating that no new records would be released: [link]

What a fucking weasel.

I am not bashing. here.

There's still a difference between avoiding service all together and serving 6 months of a year long tour. I'm not blaming bush, I wouldn't be to hot about going to Iraq right now. I just don't think it's fair for you guys to dismiss someones wartime service to their country no matter how long it was. It could have been 2 months for all I care.

I have no idea what the stories are on his injuries but I can say this... he got shot at by people who were trying to kill him. That means something doesn't it? Even a clerk who sat in an air conditioned office in Saigon for his whole tour made sacrificed an entire year of their life for the war effort.

As far as I know it's been undisputed that the act which earned him the bronze star was bringing his swift boat through heavy fire to extract a special forces patrol in danger of being overrun. Apparently members of the patrol have verified it.

Frankly I don't blame Bush for getting out of war duty and I don't blame Kerry for finding a way to cut his tour short.

Disclaimer
I admit I would be classified as liberal because of my stance on the environment. I enjoy the outdoors and I want to protect it so my son and his son and so on can enjoy it too. I am also a small business owner and the Republicans look out for me in that area. If it comes down to my taxes or my outdoors enjoyment I'll choose the outdoors everytime. So this makes me a Democrat.

I believe the problem is that he is using his military record as a political tool. And that record might have falsehoods. If the wounds were self inflicted, this has merit. If it was that he was shot in the butt, thats still taking a bullet, he deserved the purple heart. Yes, he spent 6 month in Vietnam, so did many other politcal figures. It does mean something, but if you try to make yourself look like a war hero for political purposes, you better damn well be a war hero. Any falsehood on Bush's side (and there have been some) have been completely torn apart by the media and the liberals. Now when there is the suggestion of the same being done by their canidate, its an about face. Thats the problem, what is good enough for one person, isnt good enough for another. Question is, why would he make a comment about allowing all his records to be public, then not do it? Like I said, this is all suspect, nothing has been proven, but if it was all legit, why not just show the documents and prove it? Something isnt right. It might be minor, but they do not want something in those documents out for the election.

Kerry is in fact a sissy. Sure he might have served in Veitnam, ill give him that much. But if those wounds of his were self inflicted, he deserves nothing short of a prison sentence. Glorifying himself as a war hero on NATIONAL TELEVISON when he wasn't is wrong. And the above mentioned prison sentence would only be correct to pay some sort of homage to the real men who stuck out their tour, or were sent home for serious injuries, not a scratch.

my grandpa got his purple heart for getting shot in the butt. And the neck.
But i digress. As for Kerry, I agree Surreal. If you are going to use your miliary record for political gain, it should not be imbelished. Especially against Bush. It's not like you have to say much to get one up on him. Just serving for 6 month in Vietnam was enough.

Kerry posted his medical records from Vietnam [link] .

His first injury (from his personel record) was reported as "Shrapnel in left arm above elbow. Shrapnel removed and appl bacitracin dressing. Ret to Duty." That doesn't say much but it sounds like it was not very serious at all. No stitches? They may not have been needed though if the wound was caurterized by the shrapnel.

Here is his campaign site where his records are poster [link] . Here is his service record [link] . Not much in there about the injuries though. How much info do you think is available though? I wonder how long they keep medical records for. And I wonder if in Vietnam they were even keeping good records.

And there isn't much to go on, really.

He has a bronze and silver star for galantry in battle and received wounds from at least one of his combat injuries while receiving his bronze star.

His injuries were the result of shrapnel, in one case to the thigh, in another to the forearm and buttocks (at the same time, the result of a mine exploding near his ship), and I have yet to find the record for the third purple heart, but the other service awards establish him as a person who did more than what was expected of him.

Link to documents [link]

I don't like the man's positions and I don't plan on voting for him, but I will say he does have a respectable record.

Then again, so does Bush, for his area of service. The democrats went after him, and, frankly, there is more to go after because he didn't actually fight in the war. Still, he did his duty.

It's all just attempts to embarass the other side. Sadly, I'd say only 10% or less of America's citizens will actually look at the actual military records of either candidate and will instead simply use the press to reinforce their own beliefs and biases.

Here's some more info. [link]

It seems only one of his 3 injuries is in question and the records show he had a piece of shrapnel removed from his arm. Simple as that.

I'm starting to wonder if the reason the Kerry crew held back the records was to create alot of commotion over it so when they did release them it would make the Republicans look bad and everyone would know his record. Judging from what I've read this morning the GOP has eased up and aren't making any noise about his military record anymore. I mean.... 3 purple hearts, a bronze star, a silver star, and 20 unofficial confirmed kills.

I've said it once but I'll say it again. In my opinion any man or woman who has served in our armed forces and been shot at defending freedom in a foreign land is a hero.

That's it. I'm voting for Kerry.

More later...

Commie.

Just say no to Komrade Kerry.

I believe I already stated it but I'll say it again.

Some people enjoy these things for themselves. Some people enjoy the feel of tatts. Others enjoy the artwork on their bodies. Some of us put them in areas you wouldn't normally see. I myself don't care for the attention of others and keep my tatts hidden. I take responsibility for myself.

Do people who wear clothes do so for attention? I mean really, clothing is just a way of getting people to look at you. Why not wear burlap bags if it's just a modesty issue?

So now the real question is, was that just a troll or a legitimate question? If it was legitimate, I'd suggest you re-read all the posts.

If you took a bullet in the ass it was because you were running away :D

Not much valor in running hehe.

At least he's not sending our family members out to die for his own profit.

Hey moron- Kerry voted to approve the use of military force in Iraq, so he's just as responsible for military losses as Bush. I'm still waiting for evidence that Bush is somehow profiting from the war... oh, that's right- there is none. Idiot.

Oh wait I'm sure the spindoctors would call it a "tactical reversal for positioning" :D

My bad.

"Were you in the shit?"
"Yea, I was in the shit."

I find it humorous that the Republicans called out for Kerry's records and pointed fingers when he immediately didn't turn them over.
Then when he turned over a portion of them, the Rs said, ha! you are hiding something!

Then he turns the entire package over and they have to say, ha you call shrapnel in the ass worthy of a purple heart?

All I have to say is that Bush has a hard time proving anything he was doing during his time in the Reserve. They've got to dig up scraps of receipts from haircuts to prove he was down there.

The Rs have no ground to stand on. They should avoid the topic entirely.

Nice troll. Bravo! :yay:

Where do you think this inquiry is coming from? Conservatives spend plenty more time making up shit to bash liberals with. And Kerry hasn't made it a huge campaign issue, it just looks that way to HP from the garbage he reads. No one has to look the other way or sweep anything under the rug, Its not grabbing headlines simply because there isn't much room to criticize, I would love to compare the valor of Kerrys purple hearts to GW's, if there were any. Historically the party that makes a big issue out of war heroness is the republican side, and now its coming around to bite 'em in the ass.

How was that a troll? He speaks the truth (from what we know so far).

Nice troll. Bravo!

Hey, sorry to hear about the operation...hope you're feeling better.

You really can't see the comment for what it is? *blink*

Yep, you are getting more and more close minded. Ah well. Another sheep lost. So much for a "freed mind" eh?

Thanks, I am finally feeling better. Infection is subsiding fine now.