Sir, I can’t help but comment on an editorial cartoon, which appeared in last week’s edition of our local paper. The cartoon was two separate images, one depicting the USS John McCain, the other depicting a small rowboat with Donald Trump painted on its stern. Perhaps our esteemed editor decided to run that as a statement showing the difference between the late senator and our current president.
As a caveat, I will state, before going on, that the late senator cannot defend himself. I will also say that I have no firsthand knowledge concerning his time in The Hanoi Hilton. However, there are written accounts to support that which follows. John McCain has been called a hero by some, while others, (former residents of the Hanoi Hilton in particular) say he failed to act in a manner required by the Navy, relating to his time in captivity.
He is not the first person to have doubt cast upon him for his actions. There are those, former sailors who have served with, or in concert with, Senator Kerry, who have less than favorable views of his Vietnam Service.
However, in regard to President Trump, there is no reason to be concerned with his performance prior to assuming office, since he was under no constraint requiring him to meet certain standards. So whether it was his behavior towards women, or his dealings with foreign nationals, he was free to do as he chose. Since taking office, he has admittedly made some missteps, but other than vexing liberals who felt their choice was unfairly denied office, President Trump has tried to honor his campaign promises.
I have no problem with folks airing their grievances, I do have a problem with folks painting a false picture to make a point they would not be able to achieve with words. Mr. Estlack, if you feel that Mr. Trump is wrong for the office, why not say so. And if you feel that your readers would be better served by liberals who are anti Second Amendment, anti-Christian/pro-Abortion rights, and who are progressive to the point they would re-distribute personal wealth from those who earned it to those who feel earning a living is beneath them, then please have the courage of your convictions, to say so loud and clear rather than offer innuendo to make your case.
Personally, were I a commissioned officer in the navy, I would resign my commission rather than serve on a ship named after either John McCain or John Kerry. Were I young enough, I would gladly re-enlist just to say Donald J. Trump was my Commander in Chief.
Joseph Pafume, USMC 65-69
Hedley
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.