Are You Kidding Me?

In the United States of America, Presidential Elections occur once every four years. During the election year, candidates have an opportunity to display to the public just what it is that they stand for, and why they should be elected. Well unfortunately, this election year has been everything but informative. Neither candidate is focusing on the issues that actually matter to the people, and when they attempt to, they often get sidetracked by peripheral issues.

Quite frankly, I was furious that the war in Iraq was the major topic discussed during the former half of this year's campaigning. Though it is severely important and deserves considerable attention, there are plenty of other topics that should garner equal attention by the Presidential candidates (ie Education, Health Care, Job Creation, Environmental Policy, etc.).

Well, the Iraq War discussions turned into a sideways debate that arrived at a complete state of vanity. Instead of figuring out how to handle the war that we had engaged ourselves in as a country, Democrats and Republicans began pointing fingers and carried out pointless debates over the reasons we went to war. Now clearly we went to war under false pretenses, and the country was indeed mislead. Those responsible for such a disaster should be held accountable and reprimanded in some form or fashion, but can we move on. The fact is that we went to war, pissed off the whole planet, and need to figure out the best possible way to benefit the people we claimed to be helping as well as preserve the lives of our soldiers.

So move on we did.

Sadly enough though, we've moved from one pointless debate to another. Instead of considering Senator John Kerry's Senate voting record, or even his purported Presidential platform, all we keep hearing about is his Vietnam War record. How silly!

Well, here's what I think.

John Kerry can't really be mad about all the attention and controversy that his Vietnam past is conjuring up. He was the one who made his Service and Veteran status an issue. The problem is that he vaunted up the fact that he volunteered for the war, and served his time, while seemingly forgetting that he came back and denounced the war. So, he needs to realize that you can't have it both ways. Furthermore, it's perfectly fine to oppose a war. Therefore he need not try portray himself as a man that fought and came back with no ill thoughts towards the war.

As for Bush, he should denounce the "Swift Boat" ads, not because he has anything to do with them, but because it's the right thing to do. It's hard for the Bush administration to say that they aren't connected to the "Swift Boat" ads at all when Bush won't even separate himself from them. The Bush Campaign strategists keep touting their clean campaign and say that the Kerry Campaign is and has taken many cheap shots at Bush. Well, if they were so magnanimous, they would denounce these independent ads (as Kerry denounced independent ads against Bush), and quit sticking up for Bush by saying that he's not required to denounce them. I don't see why he wouldn't just denounce them anyway. From my vantage point, he looks like a really mean and dirty candidate for just allowing this to balloon into what it has-but clearly, I might be in the minority there!

Finally, the media is just as much to blame for this futile form of campaigning as the people who make the insidious ads. News stations nationwide, listen up:

STOP INTERVIEWING VETERANS ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT KERRY'S WAR RECORD!

I can't believe that all the news buzz is about John Kerry's Vietnam service. Who cares? Seriously, are you kidding me? We can't discuss anything else? Can we not relive a war that I wasn't even around to witness. Can we discuss issues that matter domestically? Can we quit pointing fingers?

Now, every veteran can seemingly get air time in either support or in protest to Kerry. Some rudely suggesting that his war medals weren't earned. Incidentally, I think that if this were a boxing match, saying that Kerry inflicted wounds on himself in order to earn Purple Hearts would be likened unto throwing five hard uppercuts below the belt.

People, like Former Presidential Candidate Bob Dole, are calling for Kerry to apologize for his testimony before a senate panel thirty years ago. Well Mr. Dole, please tell me what that will accomplish today? The next four years? Absolutely nothing. If you didn't like his testimony, you should have told him then; now is not the time!

What we are witnessing is a political circus in full swing. And I'm flat sick of it. When are we going to discuss the best possible way to benefit the Iraqi people while bringing our troops back home? When are we going to truly figure out how to "leave no child behind" educationally? When will the air be breathable every day in Los Angeles and Houston? How can we prevent people from working for fifty and sixty years out of necessity? When will people be able to buy necessary prescription drugs without having to cross the border into Canada? When will women and minorities receive equal pay and equal opportunity?

John Kerry and George W. Bush, these are the issues, and the American public hopes that you address them before November 2nd!

-Maelstrom