Posted on 09/07/2004 7:06:36 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
The Advocate magazine has recently republished a column by Senator John Kerry from the September 3, 1996 issue. In it, Kerry explains why he voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed by Congress and signed into law by then-President Clinton.
The Defense of Marriage Act said that states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Kerry, however, called DOMA, "unconstitutional and unnecessary" and "mean-spirited and malicious."
Kerry likened opposition to homosexual marriage to opposition to interacial marriage and said that opponents of same-sex marriage want to establish a "caste system for marriage."
Kerry also claimed that "I knew firsthand from my tours of duty in Vitenam the bravery and distinction with which gay soldiers served their country." Kerry only served four months in Vietnam so he's being dishonest to say "tours of duty" in that nation. In addition, it is unlikely that Kerry would have had knowledge of any soldiers who were open or closeted homosexuals at that time in our history. Homosexuality was a non-issue back then--and it wasn't a topic that was discussed or flaunted as it is today. It would have been especially taboo in the warrior culture.
To read John Kerry's article in the Advocate, click here: http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/914/914_kerry.asp
Geez...everytime Mr. Kerry talks about any issue, he somehow connects it with Vietnam. My word, the man is an empty suit.
If I remember, he only really talks of one soldier, and that is Rasmann. So is saying that some of his crew were "Gay"? I think we should ask the "Swifties" of whom he is speaking about. From my limited time in Nam, 13 months, no purple hearts. I saw no one who was a Homosexual, and I was a Navy Corpsman with the Marines. Who were all these "Gay Guys'?
Yeah, he does seem to always find a way to connect the dots from any issue to Vietnam.
I wonder, if someone scrutinizes what Kerry said in this article will Kerry lambast them over it?
Yeah, right! Like Bill Clinton remembered black churches being burned in Arkansas during his childhood. (BTW there are NO records of a black church being burned in Arkansas.)
I imagine that you aren't the only one who is wondering who all the "gay guys" were.
thanks for the link, I read it.......
kerry sure does have a Vietnam fixation.........what a jerk.
Kerry: "I knew firsthand from my tours of duty in Vietnam the bravery and distinction with which gay soldiers served their country."
http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/914/914_kerry.asp
Tours? Firsthand?
he's being disingenuous, not dishonest.
His first claimed "tour of Vietnam" was aboard the USS Gridley, which anchored offshore for short time in Vietnamese waters. I not sure if he ever left the ship but he was never in harm's way.
Remember he was in the Navy, not the Army, the likelihood of meeting gays was much higher.
"Remember he was in the Navy, not the Army, the likelihood of meeting gays was much higher."
Care to step outside and say that?
OUCH!
"I knew firsthand from my tours of duty in Vitenam the bravery and distinction with which gay soldiers served their country."
Keep in mind with Kerry's mixed loyalty he could be talking about the NVA here
Hey, fellas lets be nice. John may think one of you were his bunk mates.
"Hey, fellas lets be nice. John may think one of you were his bunk mates."
Actually, on the USS DALE, CG-19, circa 1986, there was one guy, an RP-3 who ran the ship's library and assisted the chaplain who was pretty much "out" (though not "way out"). In the real world nobody gave a flying f***. He minded his business and we minded ours. Then again, this was before the era of Clinton...
I thought all the Vietnam vets were torturers, killers etc. I guess only the heterosexuals were gengkis-like.
*snrk*
What size flame-retardant suit do you wear.
Gays Take Aim at Hillary
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1208457/posts
"he's being disingenuous, not dihonest."
That's almost splitting hairs.
A real tour of duty would be for a fixed amount of time, set by the military, and then completed. Then completing another set amount of time would qualify him for serving two terms, hence tour(s). I fail to see where Kerry served two tours, which would qualify him for using the plural of tour.
Didn't you know that gay people are supposedly the sweetest and nicest people on earth?
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