The book clearly exists

[Mystic]

I checked ebay today and I typed in 'The New Soldier.' Senator John Kerry's book came up with an image of the front cover (including the upside down American flag) and a bidding price of $875.00. I think that ebay is reputable and therefore I think we can conclude that the book exists and that it was in fact written by Senator John Kerry. You can also find an image of the book at the web site 'Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry.'

The young people at this web site probably think nothing at all about any of this. But I am an old man and I lived in a different age. An upside down American flag meant surrender and it is quite offensive to me. In the past either a white flag or hanging your flag upside down meant that you were surrendering. In my youth a person living in this country was expected to have loyalty to America.

Of course we live in a different age today and the young people today have no idea what I am talking about. They will not understand that something like this is so offensive to old people like me who are no longer of any importance to this society.

My single vote still counts, however. I will not vote for Senator John Kerry. I don't care what he says. I realize that the young people here do not understand how something like this can be so offensive to a person. But it is very offensive to me.

 

[Tim]

I'm with you.

I saluted that flag too many times to stomach having a president who disrespects it...again.


Tim

 

[Last_Z]

Well, at 28 and without the need for Viagra.....I still consider myself fairly young

I do not have all the facts about what Kerry did after he came back from V-N, but it does seem shady and very disrespectfull.
I do have to give him credit for his service though.....it is obvious to me he has Bush beat in THAT department. However, service DOES NOT justify disrespect to the flag and what it stands for.

One small correction .....an upside down flag does not mean surrender.....according to the Air Force's Enlisted Bible (The PFE):

-Do not display the flag with the union down, except as a distress signal.

The distress signal is intended for friendly forces to come to the rescue.

[ February 26, 2004, 12:19 AM: Message edited by: Last_Z ]

 

[keith]

That is a very detailed image of the book, and it turns my stomach.

Keith.

 

[labman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystic:
I checked ebay today and I typed in 'The New Soldier. snip....But I am an old man and I lived in a different age. An upside down American flag meant surrender and it is quite offensive to me. snip.... In my youth a person living in this country was expected to have loyalty to America.

Of course we live in a different age today and the young people today have no idea what I am talking about. They will not understand that something like this is so offensive to old people like me who are no longer of any importance to this society.snip.

---

Except for seeing the upside down flag as a distress signal, I agree with every thing you said for. Another thing that offends me is the way people lie. They make up anything that will serve their purpose and spread it around. Then long after it has been discredited, they bring it back again. We waste an enormous amount of time checking things out and documenting them. I hate and despise liars. That includes false witnesses. Don't accuse people unless you have proof.

 

[JohnnyO]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why is it so much money?

 

[Al]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystic:
The young people at this web site probably think nothing at all about any of this. But I am an old man and I lived in a different age.

---

I'm with you in every way, including old age.

 

[Mystic]

When John Paul Jones defeated a British warship the British indicated their desire on that warship to surrender by hanging their flag upside down. Perhaps the meaning of an upside down flag has changed. But it seems certain to me that Kerry was not praising the United States of America with the upside down American flag on the cover of his book.

I also think that the anti-war group he belonged to probably did not intend praise to this country when some of the members of that organization were apparently displaying NVA and Viet Cong flags.

I will vote against John Kerry. Maybe he will get elected anyway but HE WILL NOT GET ELECTED WITH MY ONE VOTE!

You could forget all the stuff he did as a young man after returning from Vietnam and he still would not be worth electing as president. His record in Congress is along a good enough reason for him to not be president of this country.

 

[ex_MGB]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why is it so much money?

I was doing some research on the origins of the KKK and looked to buy a book by the dean of Auburn written shortly after the turn of the century (he had previously been a history professor there), Of course, back then, a lot of people were in the KKK and the political climate was such that the book was accurate. The book was listed at $900 on the used book network.

When Kerry wrote his book, the political climate was different than today.

Jacking up the price draws the remaining copies out of circulation as I'm sure they're being destroyed.

 

[Mystic]

Does not matter if the remaining copies of the book are destroyed or not-we know that the book existed. And if the destruction of remaining books can be tied to Kerry supporters how does that make them look? Like the Nazis on 'Crystal Night?'

The 'Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry' apparently have one copy of the book. I am sure they will probably not let that copy be destroyed. Major news organizations may have bought copies at ebay or somewhere else. Libraries somewhere may have copies-if all of these copies disappear then we know something about the honesty (or lack of honesty) of Kerry supporters.

Every man and woman on this planet has to live someday with what they have done in their lifetimes. A lot of people don't think much about that until they are very near the end of that lifetime.

 

[Propflux01]

Because it may be an item from a potential president.