you miss the point

Joe N. (and others of the same mindset),

Your use of "clever" phrases in your response does not hide the fact that you do not understand the issues at hand. You are talking about the reasons for fighting. The rest of us are talking about those who served.

My father served in Vietnam with the US Marines. After many conversations with him and long study, I have come to believe, that the United States was misguided in its involvement in Vietnam. This opinion, however, takes nothing away from any who served there, nor does it alter the admiration I feel for the veterans of that terrible war.

The point is, it matters not whether you supported the war.

Why not? In a democracy, the people rule. With that power, with the priviledges of living in these United States, comes responsibility. When the country called them, those who fought in Vietnam answered that call. They lived up to their responsibility. They paid the price, some the ultimate price, for their citizenship in the US.

Whether you think the government's policy in Vietnam was just is utterly irrevelent! The facts are these: our country went to war, and when it needed them, these men served. You can argue all day about the rightness of containment or the real events in the Gulf of Tonkin, but you can NEVER turn your head to the sacrifice of these soldiers, saliors, marines, and airmen.

Finally, a word on Jane Fonda:

To honor a women who was, and is, a traitor to her country, a criminal guilty of treason, is wrong. It is not wrong because of her views--free speech is a treasured right in America. It is wrong because she gave aid and comfort to the enemy and caused injury and death for American servicemen held captive. It is wrong because she went beyond opposing a government decision and became an active agent against those supporting the government. She actually robbed other Americans of life and freedom while abusing the freedom they were honoring by their service.

She should offer a public apology to all veterans, families of veterans, and families of those killed or still missing. And then she should serve her time: in jail. By law and tradition, this is the only way justice can be served.