As a Korean/Vietnam era vet I find the cover picture on the new soldier offensive, sad, and terribly sick. Granted the Nam was a fubar but give our guys a break. Hanoi John, you are filth.

My husband served in the Navy in the middle of VietNam, as support to riverboats. I resent John Hanoi Kerry for his comments on the actions of the fantasy troops in VN. There are monsters here in the US that do horrible things, and there were probably a few over there that did such things, but to act as if all the Vets are monsters chaps my a__.
I did not support the war and if my husband could have had a legal out, we would have taken it. John Kerry served 4 lousy months over there and acts as if the service over 30 years ago has anything to do with now. I sang in a band as a teenager, that doesn't make me Mick Jagger.
He is a member of the rich in the US and doesn't have a clue about the middle class.
He just plain bugs me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For goodness sake he borrowed on his wifes' (Heinz family) art, and such and the public that gives money to his campaign is paying off his loans.
Must be nice. Get paid for you own stuff, by people who think he cares.
AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I don't know if I want to spend 200 on a Kerry book or 2,000 on a Bush dinner. Decisions decisions. I feel for Demcrats having to defend this guy Kerry as much as Republicans defending Bush and his Mexican ally policies.

Gawd, are we there yet? And how the hell did we get here anyway?

I got to go study the deeper government issue of Janet Jacksons superbowl appearance and baseball players on steroids now.

Didn't John Lennon say something about no problems, only solutions? Maybe I can read the kerry book WHILE I eat a Bush dinner, aha.

Please do not send me any more of your useless crap!

a flag flying upside down means that the nation it represents is under distress. It isn't something that means that he's being ugly towards the nation or disrespectful.
Flying a flag upside down is actually listed under flag ettiquite. "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm) The Vietnam War as viewed by Kerry and the Vietam Vetrans Against the War would have definently consituted displaying the flag as a signal of "dire distress." Was not our country in distress in this period of time? Extreme danger to the lives of our troops for certain.

If you want to get angry at someone for misusing the American Flag, look at Kid Rock at the last Superbowl in Fall '03. He cut a slit in the American Flag to put his head through so he could wear it. It was totally disrespectful and flies right in the face of flag ettiquite "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery." (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm) also, by cutting a hole in the American Flag, Kid Rock has desecrated the symbol of our union, and by law should be fined and/or imprisoned:

"700. Desecration of the flag of the United States; penalties

(a)(1) Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor
or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(2) This subsection does not prohibit any conduct consisting of the disposal of a flag when it
has become worn or soiled.
( As used in this section, the term 'flag of the United States' means any flag of the United
States, or any part thereof, made of any substance, of any size, in a form that is commonly
displayed. " (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm)

So before making rash comments, I suggest you do a little homework, or at least support your argument better. Any questions or comments can be directed to my email address: jessieklemcke@hotmail.com

No, he just looks like the darn thing.

Paul:
This has been broken down into a simple first amendment right to burn a flag issue and that is farthest from reality. This is about making a mockery of the US flag in a scene designed to denigrate and diminish the memory of the heroes who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.
You can’t marginalize this as some benign flag burning issue. Bottom line: Kerry intentionally staged a photographed scene of soldiers mocking other soldiers, and not just any soldiers, but the soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

The Marines who rose that flag created one of the most defining moments of our nation’s history. We could have lost that war. The images of marines on Iwo Jima will live forever as proof of American determination to survive against the ferocity of imperial Japan. The determination of those marines on Iwo Jima will survive forever because it defined American greatness.

I think that when they wrote the 1st Amendment they weren't planning on flag burning, or radio stars who people term 'shock-jocks.' That doesn't mean, however, that we can just ignore the 1st Amendment. That's the beauty of this country, because we can form our own opinions, we can write and say what we feel. Do I enjoy flag burning? No, I find it disrespectful for the thousands of people who have willingly sacrificed themselves for the glory of our nation. Does that mean I think that it should be disallowed? No, because it's protected under the first amendment.

He actually requested to be shipped over there

Can you point me to a source for this? I tried, and failed, to find a reliable source confirming this.

Anthony,
Kerry did indeed intentionally stage such a photo, but he did so to make a point. You may object to that point, but to object to his method of making it is wrong. It's strikes me as similar to the posts a while back for and against Bush using 9/11 images in his political campaign. The use of the images is not wrong, you can object to the point he's trying to make though.
I do understand that many people feel distressed at such an American symbol being 'poorly' used, but America grants the freedom for anyone to use that symbol as they want. Anything that reduces that right, even if it's just outrage and digust, is wrong.

Paul.