"John Smith" wrote in message
news:4Pkic.11245$cF6.487216@attbi_s04...
Bill,
I did not know Kerry accused the soldiers of raping, stealing and killing
innocent soldiers. I don't agree with Kerry, but I thought he was smarter
than that.

I think it's safe to say that due to tensions and emotions running high,
quite a few people made blanket judgements of certain groups in the late
1960s and early 1970s, like soldiers and cops. There's no reason to think
Kerry was different from everyone else in this regard. I know *I* had some
unsavory things to say about the police after witnessing what the Chicago
cops did in 1968. But, at the same time, my own interactions with them were
nothing but good, even though I had VERY long hair and looked like someone
the cops enjoyed beating on.

Footnote:
My WORST experience was when I was pulled over by a NY State trooper for
doing 90 in a 55 zone in my screaming yellow 1970 Cougar. For some reason,
he didn't ticket me. But, he harrassed me mercilessly for having an
automatic instead of a Hurst shifter. My BEST experience was while
hitchhiking from Syracuse to the Canadian border. Trooper pulled over. I
said "If this is how my trip's beginning, I'll just walk". I turned around
to get off the entrance ramp. He said "I'm offering you a ride". He asked if
I had any drugs on me. I said no. He said "OK"....get in. I asked him how
fast the car would go before feeling shaky. He showed me. We completed a 100
mile trip in about an hour and three minutes. Great fun. Turned out we had
the same philosophy professor - he was in night school. Discussed Sartre for
most of the trip. So much for stereotypes.