> On Mon, 5 Jul 1999 03:29:06 -0400, "Gault"
> >> Given that my country was not involved in that particular debacle, and
> >> considering further that I was of a very tender age indeed I would
> >> think it unlikely. Not that it is germane to the discussion in any
> >> way.
> >"Not germane?" I would disagree. What you've learned in your textbooks
and
> >in whatever lame Vietnam war movies you may have seen probably gives you
far
> >less basis to judge the character of Nam vets than Mr. Simmons.
> And your cage was rattled by...?
> Go back to the start of the thread. READ it. You will then understand
> why it is not germane.
Nice dodge with a snotty rejoinder to boot, but that doesn't cut it. I had
read the entire thread, and you've done little to back up why your
noninvolvement and seeming ignorance of the conflict trump Mr. Simmon's
experience and judgement. You admit that you've never fought for your
country (which did have advisors and others in Vietnam, by the way...not to
mention all the ANZAC forces there) and then instead of saying that you're
grateful for those who have, you applaud somebody named "Ali" (Hines, I'm
guessing) and applaud her for whatever it is that she believes in. Why am I
not surprised that you disagree with Mr. Simmons?
Since you seem interested in statistics, here are a few for you. Vietnam
veterans' personal income exceeds that of their non-veteran age group by
more than 18 percent. Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than
their non-vet age group. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison -
only 1/2 of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non
veterans of the same age group (from a Veterans Administration study).
After 5 years post-service, suicides among Vietnam vets is less than the
general population (although there was an initial increase to 1.7 times more
likely for that first 5 year period).
While there are always disturbed individuals in any group [including or
maybe especially r.a.s :-) ], Vietnam vets are not the psychotic drug
***s which some people and movies portray them as. Can't you understand
how angry Mr. Simmons must be at seeing this over and over again?
Well, when you become dictator you can send your thought police out to haul
him into jail, but until then he's certainly entitled to his opinions, no
matter how crudely put. Just as you are, of course. I wish that he had
chosen something a little more elegant, but I'm willing to chalk that one up
to frustration. After 20+ years of hearing this same old venom, I'd be
pretty angry too. But if you're on some crusade to clean up the language on
USENET, then good luck...you've a long and difficult battle ahead of you.
It does... maybe you should have read the next line I wrote which you
separated into the next paragraph below..."And the same goes for Mark
Abbot." (who was the one who insulted the vets) and it applies to you too.
Everyone certainly has a right to their opinion, just as I have a right to
disagree with theirs... and yours. My "so be it" isn't meant to claim that
any and all opinions are valid or correct, however... its just that any
idiot with a voice or a computer can spout whatever he wants to. And they
usually do. But I can disagree and air my complaints.
Never commented if it were in reasonable language? I'm not so sure about
that...your first entry in this thread was...
doubt.
Rather than commenting on his language, you're implying that he was not a
Vietnam vet. Now THAT would really***me off if I were him.
As I said...you're certainly entitled to say whatever you want to and
disagree with his choice of words or assertions. But it seems that you're
dancing between criticism of his language and criticism of his past.
Earlier in the thread you also belittled the conflict, and now you are
taking Mr. Simmons to task when he uses words you think inappropriate.
Which is it... if its just the language he uses, I'd tend to agree that it
was a little harsh but I can understand his anger. If its something bigger
or more about the fact that he was a Vietnam vet I would have to disagree
but nothing constructive is likely to come of it. Nothing I could say is
likely to change your mind, and I really don't care anyway at this point.
