Knew it would happen

[splummer]

I think Ron is right that the protesters cost lives not saved lives. The only ones I think had a right to protest is those that had been there. Andy I remember the deferment for being married and having a kid. I was 19 and thought being married would be worst than Vietnam so I broke up with my girl freind and went. After I got there, I began thinking I may have been wrong. Of course, now, after being married 29 years, I'm thinking I was right. [just kidding]

[Keith_Hixson]

I'm so confused! I thought the post was about assembling furniture from foreign countries and even our form enemies.

I have a great idea. Lets not receive any imports from our former enemies.

No more cars from Germany or Japan. No more electronics from Japan. Nothing from England our original enemy and that goes for Canada and Australia as a part of the common wealth. Nothing from France, Spain, Russia, Korea, and on and on. If we didn't get stuff from former enemies and ship to our former enemies our whole financial structure of imports and exports would totally collapse.

Ron and James,

I share opinions with the both of you. Our right to protest was established by the action of our founding fathers, those colonial rebels. I believe flag buring is wrong! I believe that LBJ was at least 10 times more corrupt than Nixon. From what I have read, there may have been some good to Vietnam War. According to some investigative historians and journalists, the war in Vietnam played a very heavy toll on the infrastructure of the Soviet Union and helped caused the fall of the Soviet Union. Also, I have also believed in the domino theory and because of Vietnam there was hault of the spread of Communism. Some say that because communism didn't spread after Vietnam it disproved the domino theory but I have always believed it proved the domino theory.

But, that is beside the point. I have always felt that what makes America great is our diversity, the right to have open disagreements with our government, and protecting the rights of the individual (even if I think they are being right down stupid). I believe the greatest danger to freedom of speech and protest is something that is being put in place by some in the liberal community - its called PC. People are hired and fired because of their political, and religious beliefs and that is wrong. The once free wheeling hippy protestors have become manipulating and controling through the use of Political Correctness and this scares me more than the right to free assembly and protesting.

The protestors probably caused lots of deaths because of the encouragement it gave to the enemy.

Now when it comes to Clinton and Dean. I wouldn't have voted or vote for them because they are admitted Draft Dodgers. I served they could have served. Even if I totally agreed with them I wouldn't vote for them because they in my opinion lack character.

However, we need this diversity to make us great. When we try to manipulate each other into being exactly the same it becomes dangerous. The fine line between diversity, individualism, and loyality to government can be very scary. Because if there isn't a certain degree of conformity this whole nation would fall apart. So I end with a confusing admonition. Lets be different but work and conformity for the sake of the country. Let us never develop a hatred for another just because they disagree with us.

James, come and see me for counseling about all those hippy girls, I think you may need some. (just kidding ) I still love ya James.

Keith

[Andy]

Some of you have probably figured out my mind set about violence and war. After 27 months in Vietnam and 28 years as a cop I?m not all together opposed to violence. Vietnam was like going to a domestic dispute when the husband was known to have guns in the house and was beating his wife: if not now than when, if not me then who?

One of my hero?s growing up, remember I?ve always been a history nut, was Steven Decatur, he fought against the Barbary Pirates and all sorts of neat stuff. At a dinner at Andy Jackson?s White House he made a toast saying, ?America, in her intercourse with other nations may She always be right but right or wrong, America.? That was my mind set when going to Vietnam in ?67.

However, while in Nam in ?69 you could see a difference in the war and it was clear (or I thought it was clear) that Nixon had no intent to win anything in Vietnam, we were just bargaining chips for his global plan. Protesting before Nixon got elected Vs. protesting after Nixon?s election really seemed to be two different things. Also, other than picking up women, I?d always talk about not protesting the kids in uniform, the people making policy were in a much higher pay grade.

Who has a right to protest? Boston isn?t far from here. If it wasn?t for the protests against the Stamp Act, the tea that?s probably still floating in Boston harbor (along with half of the Patrearchia family, industrial waste and dead fish), a protest called the Boston Massacre, there would not be a United States.

Please remember there were protests against George Washington when he put down the Whiskey rebellion. Protests against John Adams when he got the Alien and Sedition Act passed. And lots of protests against Tom Jefferson when he established the Embargo Act. We have always had protest and as long as this is a democracy we always will. Does everyone know the circumstances about the first American blood being shed in the Civil War? On April 19th of 1861 a mob of pro slavery men in Baltimore attacked troops from Massachusetts who were headed south to put down the rebellion.

We are a nation of protesters, God bless us, we have that right.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Gimpy]

Andy said!!

[usmcsgt65]

39, I must defend Kent State, Ohio, to a degree. Born and raised in Cincinnati, not close to Kent State, you have to remember that Kent State kept it's ROTC program. Protesters attempted to burn the building down, and the chemistry building, used federal money. It was the governor, who wanted to be elected to the Senate, who sent the National Guard in to protect the campus and people. The Ohio State Highway Patrol attempted to prevent this move, but the wanted to be a Senator more than wise.

[Arrow]

I would like to see us manufacturing all we can in this countryand I don't like seeing made in China on everything I pick up. But the bottom line is the bottom line and we can kiss the American dream good bye for a lot of our children that are hard working but not scholars. With the manufacturing base slippin' south of the border and overseas we are leaving a big hole where hope used to be. I've never been one to put my money in the offering plate when my neighbors and family were in need. The same principal applys. We need manufacturing jobs here with good pay and benefits. It can be done but it won't be done becauseof the greed of those at the top of the totem pole.

Protest: It is what we were founded on. It would be nice to see some intelligent form of life involved in a protest movement though. I believe a bunch of spoiled brats that had nothing better to dogot a lot of good men killed in Vietnam.

For those that were there served with honor and came home and objected I would give a listen to. For those that wenttojail Iwould have tothink about. Some guys have it pretty easy in jail.It seems they are pretty close to the same breed that went to Canada. If we want to talk about living your convictions how about the guys that went andserved as medicssome not even carrying a weapon? Now that my friends is convictionthat is almost beyond whatmost of us can comprehend.

The way I see the rest of the rabble of that anti-war movement during the Vietnam war is just as described inpreceding postsnothing but an excuse to get high, get laid and party on. For this theyshould berememberedas some great revolutionary movement? For this they deserve a thankyou? I think not.

Arrow>>>>>>

[SuperScout]

Self-congratulatory back-slapping for hedonistic behavior is poor resume filler. "Get high, get laid and get it on!" If that's what some want to have etched on their headstones, so be it.

Jobs: it certainly is more than a bit disconcerting to see "Made in China" on so many products. America is in a transitional stage, goig from manufacturing statusfor things that hav since been exported, to an imported of those same products. That's the bad news. The good news is that there is a growing number of jobs being created that require a much higher level of education and training, something that for the time being at least, the offshore folks haven't mastered. What I foresee is a new age - from the Industrial Age to the Space Age to something else that will usher in more jobs, more new gadgets, more new technology, that will spurt us ahead of the pack for the next decade.

[Keith_Hixson]

Sis,

I agree that we need more manufacturing. Reading through some economic digests. The only thing the United States is exporting of food and airplanes in any great numbers. Most of autos have a multple parts from all over the world. The more we rely on other nations for our goods the less financially stable we become as a nation. Fortunately we are good food producers. But, I think we are headed for a major crisis, much worse than we have ever seen, because of the imbalance of exports and imports. We are a nation of spenders and not a nation of manufacturing. It really is getting to be quite scary. Neither party seems interested in doing anything about it. Union jobs are going out of country, because of lower wages elsewehere. Lots of greed on both sides of the issue but it is worrisome to me.

Keith

[reeb]

Betcha Bill Clinton has some furniture made in VN, even though the reason he stayed in College so long was to avoid the draft.

USMCSGT65.

I was born and raised not to far from you in town of Troy, Ohio.
If you were going North and I was going South on I 75 we would have bumps heads baack then.

enough..........

[the humper]

Raised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SF
NC