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I cannot comprehend how attempting to avoid war in Vietnam is somehow Anti-American. History shows us we *failed* in Vietnam, and *lost* the war. Lots of Americans died, and very few of those soldiers who lived hold that action as a wise move by a leader nation. By and large, Vietnam vets cherish the fact that they, and their friends/troopmates survived what was a brutal military engagement, not that they were standing up for their country in time of crisis.
If you were told today that you may be shipped away from your life, your family, everything you hold dear, and you may be dead in 6 months... for a cause you had no knowledge of or belief in, you have every right to avoid that. Kerry avoided it, and when he found he could not legally escape Vietnam, he volunteered for the duty he felt most comfortable with. He fought, he killed, he was injured, he saved lives. I am not a Kerry backer, but I have no ability to understand how his actions were anything but completely acceptable.
Keep in mind, folks aren't bashing Bush for joining the Guard- they're bashing him for joining the Guard, then avoiding duty without permission. Had Kerry joined the Navy, then failed a physical and returned to the US to work on politics, that would be very notable. He did his tours and *then* returned to state his case politically. There's nothing wrong with that- that's how our system works.
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