Do you agree with Dems that John McCain should retract his words when he said our soldiers have been "wasted"?

Question

John Kerry inadvertantly offended the troops as well, and conservatives were essentially screaming for his death until he apologized.
So, to answer my own question-it's only fair.

Answer 1

John McCain did apologize and said he should have said sacrified rather than wasted. McCain is in a different league than everyone else since he was a POW.

Answer 2

I agree. I think we need to be sensitive on such issues.

I'm a moderate but one of my firmest beliefs is the avoidance of inflammatory and irrational language.

When people use such politically charged rhetoric, whether it be dem. or rep. it doesn't help anyone.

I'm glad that McCain apologized. I can't say I've ever been much of a fan of him, but I always thought a comment like that to be beneath his dignity. It might've been just a slip, a mistake or a brief look into how he really thinks behind the politicians mask. I'm not one to judge. Either way, I'm glad he apologized.

I applaud your reasonable question and non inflammatory rhetoric. Keep up the good work.

(However, the "screaming for death" could be reworded. The word "essentially" makes for an important qualifier in that sentence.)

Answer 3

They're not wasted, President Bush says we are going to turn the war around and win! Anyway, it was a bad statement. Even if they turn out to be wasted no one should actually say it out loud. Look at Vietnam, how many of us died or were injured (I was a paratrooper in the early '70's) People looked down on soldiers then, I didn't like we had to travel in uniform because of it. Now I'm sick and I went to the VA for medical, guess what? I don't qualify even though I have be turned down by everyone for insurance. Bush and the Republican congress passed the screw vets bill Jan. 2003 Look carefully at the Va.gov website, it's kinda hard to figure out. I never even went on sick call during my entire army stint (even when I was sick or hurt).

Answer 4

If we pull our troops out before the job is done or if congress cuts funding to continue the fight as they did in the Viet Nam War, all those of our soldiers who died have died in vain. So essentially their lives would have been wasted. My brother works in Iraq and has talked with many marines who are on their 4th tour in Iraq because they keep requesting transfers to units that are scheduled to go there. Their reason-finish the job to honor their friends and comrades who have died there. Their only purpose is to finish the job their friends died trying to do. The least we can do is support them by continuing to fund their efforts and stop protesting the job they are doing.

Answer 5

No--and I'll tell you why.

"Wasted" --when defining their deaths in terms of the false reasoning put forth by the Bush Administration that put them there---is totally appropriate. Making him retract his words to equalize the outrage from the Media on past statements is only fair.

Answer 6

The Media Frenzy about semantics is just making mountains out of molehills. All intelligent citizens understood what he was saying.

Answer 7

What goes around comes around it has been said. Therefore he should. An apology never hurts even if you fell you offended no one. It may actually gain him some ground with voters.

Answer 8

Was it taken out of context? If he said withdrawing now would mean that the maimed and dead fought in vain, then I agree with him.

Answer 9

come on now, everyone tries to find something to be offended by. we all know what he really meant so stop the BS.

Answer 10

I don't, I agree with him, their lives have been wasted, this war is pointless, their lives have been wasted by the politicians to accomplish absolutely nothing.