Letter: Kerry’s response to ads troubling

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 | 9:46 a.m.

This regards Susan Fong's Aug. 31 letter headlined, "Anti-Kerry ads lack the truth." We should all remember that John Kerry made his four-month service in Vietnam the cornerstone of his campaign. It was John Kerry who invited us all to examine his military record. It was John Kerry who told us that his self-anointed status as a war hero makes him the best choice for commander-in-chief. Yet when his fellow veterans try to tell their side of the story, he cries foul and tries to silence his critics.

I read "Unfit for Command" and found it to be well-documented and compelling. In no way can this book be called a smear. It does not rely on rumor, innuendo or anonymous sources. Rather, it relies on first-hand, eyewitness accounts and Kerry's own words to make its case.

Clearly, John Kerry has been caught embellishing, exaggerating and falsifying his war record. His "Christmas in Cambodia" story is the most famous example of this.

While Kerry showed questionable judgment in running on his service record, his response to the swift boat veterans is a red flag. Rather than setting the record straight by releasing his military records, Kerry chooses to smear his opponents and tries to deny these veterans their First Amendment rights to free speech. How might Kerry react if he faces North Korea, Iran or China in an international crisis?

JEFFERY PYLE