The First Reason I Oppose Kerry

            Senator Kerry has made his Vietnam record a central part of his campaign for the highest job in the land, which includes the position of Commander in Chief. Since he invited us to consider the record of his approximately four months of service in Vietnam I have done so coming to the conclusion that contrary to what President Bush says I do not believe John Kerry served honorably in that war. But the first reason I do not support him for President, based on his Vietnam history, is not because I believe he finagled Purple Hearts he did not deserve or that he lied about being in Cambodia over Christmas. My reason is far more fundamental, and it is based on something a man who was with Kerry over there said about his conduct in the field.

            This gentleman said that Kerry had a reputation for being overly aggressive, but that did not bother me nearly as much as something else he said. He remarked that other boat commanders did not like to be around him in an operation because he had no fire control discipline. Many who read my words will not understand what this means but I shall endeavor to explain it as simply as possible. Fire control discipline means that you know what you are shooting at and you aim at it without endangering your brothers in arms. This means sometimes you have to hold your fire until everything comes together so that you can kill the enemy without harming friends.

            Having said that I will grant you that in the heat of battle it is sometimes necessary to rapid fire in a general direction in the hope of hitting those who wish to snuff out your life. This can be accompanied by some very real fear. It happens to us all that we have times of gut wrenching fear when we go in harms way, but a man who is continually in a state of panic when in combat is a menace to everyone around him. What is evidenced by a person habitually without fire control discipline, who is constantly burning up ammo shooting at anything and everything is a state of panic. If his Vietnam record is what tells us how he reacts under pressure I don’t want him as my Commander in Chief.