Mr. Bush could certainly do worse than praise Mr. Kerry’s commitment and heroism; they are indeed praiseworthy.
I don’t agree that you’ve proved any case aginst Mr. Bush. The post above is a masterpiece of argumentum ad ignoratium: because we don’t know, we assume it to be true.
Even if a friend of Bush’s father asked for preferential treatment in selection as a guardsman, that doesn’t mean that young Bush sought it out; it merely means he got it. You certainly cannot condemn the man for applying to the Guard, as so many others did. It’s a far sight better than dodging the draft or lying to your draft board.
I have always admired Cassius Clay - he didn’t “dodge” anything. He refused, and made it clear he was willing to accept the consequences of that refusal. Bush did not refuse - he joined an organzation where it was possible he’d be called up - although unlikely. That was not the behavior of an eager warrior, I agree, but neither was it craven or sallow.
You have presented no compelling argument for any special treatment that Bush requested. I don’t think Bush needs to say that he was a coward; he was not. But I certainly agree it would be proper and fitting to acknowledge that Kerry’s service to the country took a far more personally dangerous form than Bush’s own did, and that Kerry faced that challenge with honor and dignity, and was a true American hero.
- Rick