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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 4, 2004 A loss of respect for leadership By William Webb Ashland I am a veteran of World War II and Korea. One of my good memories of those times is the pride I felt while walking the streets in foreign countries. The people I met showed respect for my uniform and were delighted to have an American in their midst. We were respected and trusted everywhere in the world. Sadly, due to this administration's arrogance, this is no longer true and I am left with absolute disrespect for the political party who created this change in world attitude. We have gone from universal respect and admiration to a country that is now considered a threat to world peace. I do not hate George W. Bush. As a matter of fact, I often feel sorry for him, especially when he makes it so evident that he was given a job that is beyond his intellectual capacity to perform well. He follows the advice of those he gathers around him. That advice has led to a quagmire and the deaths of almost a thousand of our vital, young people. He is a charismatic, ordinary man at a time when an extraordinary man is badly needed. For years, I was a Republican and was considered a hawk. Then, during the Vietnam War, my son, a Marine, came home with multiple shrapnel wounds; some of which remain in his body. As a result, I found that I could no longer blindly grant allegiance to any political party without paying close attention to what their decisions might do to harm my country. Now, history repeats itself in Iraq. This time the inept reaction to a serious terrorist attack was directed against a non-participant of the attack while the president swaggered and generally seemed to fill the role of Braggadocio. The president's bellicose pronouncement to "Bring it on," contributed to loss of esteem held for us by many of our friends and supporters around the globe. This must be turned around and the present administration seems unable or unwilling to reform its wrong-headed actions. On the subject of former military service, I find it ludicrous that members of the administration who used influence and other questionable means to avoid serving in Vietnam, now try to belittle John Kerry's valiant service. In looking for ways to find fault, they had to resort to pointing accusingly at the fact that his service in Vietnam lasted only three months. They seem unaware that it takes only one second to die when performing an extraordinarily dangerous mission during wartime. Three months is a lifetime under those conditions. John Kerry's military service proved his courage beyond any doubt. The experience most certainly built leadership qualities while his many years in the U.S. Senate created a strong base of knowledge of how government works and how it can be made better. I was present at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where I served as a Navy radioman in the amphibious force. I would encourage all veterans to remember how important it was, during combat, to have a leader one could trust and rely on to make good decisions. With John Kerry in the Oval Office, I look forward to getting rid of this knot in my stomach that has been there ever since the Republican party engineered the appointment of Mr. Bush. Meanwhile, my greatest fear remains the grave danger our Constitution faces from right-wing fundamentalism. It has the potential to do great harm to our wonderful land of personal freedoms. Please make every effort to prevent further erosion of these freedoms by removing Mr. Bush from office. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams