Glenn Reynolds is back from his trip and links to an article by Michael Barone. It’s your basic analysis of how, if elected, John Kerry is going to have a hard time governing since the Democrats, more than the Republicans have been (officially would be my qualifier) more uncivil this campaign than in any other. How does he think he’s going to unify the country? Yadda yadda yadda. Go ahead and read their opinions, that’s not what I want to talk about.

There are a lot peace activists and war protestors who honestly believe they’re doing good work by trying to stop war. For them there’s no higher calling. Peace is the answer, always, there is no good reason for war…ever. I get it. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it.

But I don’t think they understand or will ever understand how they give aid and comfort to the enemy when they do it. And I don’t think they’ll ever understand how it feels to be protested by your own countrymen for doing your duty.

Back in 1991, after I’d returned from the Storm I went home on leave to Chicago. My Mom was all excited. I was coming home the same time the parade was being held Downtown. So I marched. I wasn’t with any unit so one of the coordinators asked if I minded marching with the rest of the stragglers and the Viet Nam Vets. I don’t think she got it when I answered that would be fine…as long as the Viet Nam Vets didn’t mind. And they didn’t. I got to march along with the Viet Nam Vets that day. I’m not sure which was cooler, the fact that the city turned out for us folks back from the Desert, or that they cheered just as loud for the Viet Nam Vets. After I saluted General Powell, and passed through the arches of red white and blue balloons and returned the Arsenio Hall arm cranks and “Whoo whoo whoos” and smiled very broadly at the girls in the office windows who were giving us Harley Salutes. I noticed an entire block filled with the kids in black. I thought it was a Goth thing at first; most of their faces were painted death white, with black around the eyes and blood red lips. They weren’t moving; they just stood there like zombies. In the middle of this block they were holding a banner which read, “There are thousands upon thousands of Iraqis dead, Why are we celebrating?” God bless the four or five grey haired ladies who were trying to block that sign so we couldn’t see it and God bless the mounted cops who didn’t treat the ladies roughly at all when they had them move along.

I can’t tell you how I felt when I saw that sign. Deflated? Discounted? Some shame that the question was asked? One of the Viet Nam Vets came up and put his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, just be happy there’s not more of them.” and he shook me and got me moving along again.

So for me the question isn’t how Senator Kerry plans on governing the country after beating up the Republicans during the campaign, but it’s how does he plan on commanding the military after spending most of his career beating us up? And I don’t think that qualifies as criticism, I think it’s a valid question and if he’s elected I’m real curious to see how he answers it.