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Commentary - Oct 12, 2004 - Printable Version
- Those Who Served
by Mark Faulk
Here's the Faulking Truth: The Republicans are the true Americans, ready to defend our country against attack and against terrorists, and the Democrats are weak. In fact, they're mostly a bunch of peace sign sporting, tree-hugging pacifists. And the media? Same thing there, the right-wing talk show hosts are the real Patriots, and lucky for us, they have the courage under fire to tell us who will best lead us in a time of war. If it wasn't for the battle-tested strength of the Republicans and the right-wing media, the pacifist-wimp Democrats would have us sitting in circles and singing "Give Peace a Chance", instead of "killing the terrorists wherever they might be". Has anyone ever observed that the key word in that phrase is "might", as in we'll bomb Iraq because there "might" be WMDs, and because they "might" be connected to 9/11, and because there "might" be terrorists there? And when all that fails, we'll say we bombed them because we have to show the world our "might". Thank God for those brave Republicans and those courageous talk show hosts.
Sound familiar? We've been hearing that argument (or some variation thereof) for the past three years. The media has portrayed the left as weak, and the right as....right. They have said (over and over and over again, ad nauseum) that the Republicans will best lead us in a time of war, and that the Democrats will hand us over to the enemy.
So, what about the war records of these heroes who are ready to send our eighteen year olds into harm's way, ready to sacrifice their limbs and lives for....well, if anyone knows exactly what today's company line is, let me know. Is it WMDs/ they helped bin Laden/ they're in on 9/11/ Operation Iraqi Freedom/ he tried to kill my dad? I lose track, is it flip or is it flop? Is it wishy this week, or are we using the washy excuse now?
Once more, what about those war heroes who are busy telling you and me why we need to keep killing our children in the name of Patriotism? Here are just a few of the neocon talk show hosts' stellar military credentials: Sean Hannity? Didn't serve. Rush Limbaugh? Didn't serve. Bill O'Reilly? Didn't serve. Michael Savage? Didn't serve. George Will? Didn't serve. Pat Buchanan? Didn't serve. Michael Medved? Didn't serve.
This list was emailed to me yesterday. I was shocked at the names on the list, stunned to find out who served....and who didn't. Read it, and draw your own conclusions.
While pondering that question, I'll leave you with two quotes from Robert F. Kennedy. His comments were made during the Vietnam War, but they are even more relevant today.
"Our great strength - moral, political, economic, and military - must be used to seek peace with justice, to secure peace without fear. For these objectives, we must construct a foreign policy that will reassure the world of our judgement and our purpose."
"We must recognize that peace in the world means little to us unless we can preserve it at home. We cannot continue to deny and postpone the demands of our own people, while spending billions in the name of freedom for others."
For the Record:
Democrats:
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V Purple Hearts.
John Edwards: did not serve.
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
Jack ! Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine ! in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Chuck Robb: Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McG! overn: Bomber pilot, many missions. Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
Bill Clinton: Avoided service with student deferments. Entered draft but received 311.
Jimmy Carter: Annapolis grad. Seven years in the Navy.
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters
Tom Lantos: Said to have served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.
Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general.
John Dingell: WWII vet
John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea
Republicans:
Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
Tom Delay: did not serve.
House Whip Roy Blunt: did not serve.
Bill Frist: did not serve.
Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
George Pataki: did not serve.
Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
Rick Santorum: did not serve.
Trent Lott: did not serve.
Dick Cheney: did not serve. Had "other priorities." Several deferments, the last for wife's pregnancy.
John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
Jeb Bush: did not serve.
Karl Rove: did not serve.
Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
Vin Weber: did not serve.
Richard Perle: did not serve.
Douglas Feith: did not serve.
Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
Richard Shelby: did not serve.
Jon Kyl: did not serve.
Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
Christopher Cox: did not serve.
Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
Donald Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor.
George W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (in four years); questions about his service remain.
Ronald Reagan: made war propaganda movies.
Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII
Phil Gramm: did not serve.
John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
Bob Dole: Army officer WWII.
Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Duke Cunningham: nominated for Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Stars, Air Medals, Purple Hearts.
Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986
JC Watts: did not serve.
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.
Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam.
Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
Clarence Thomas: did not serve
Pundits & Preachers
Sean Hannity: did not serve.
Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
Michael Savage: did not serve.
George Will: did not serve.
Chris Matthews: did not serve.
Paul Gigot: did not serve.
Bill Bennett: did not serve.
Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
Bill Kristol: did not serve.
Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
Michael Medved: did not serve.
And that, fellow Patriots, is the Faulking Truth.
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