Candidate McCain believes that his time as a prisoner is qualification for marching around the Oval Office. I don’t. It may be reason for some other reward, but not election. Raising your hands in surrendor to a farmer saving you from your crashed fighter isn’t an oath of office. Nor is refusing to jump line at the prisoner exchange. These are acts of sacrifice and survival, commendable but not credentials of command. This is no time for old deeds. Life is what will come, not what has been lost. Write your memoirs, don’t rewrite your past wars.

We lost in Vietnam because we fought the people, supported tyrants and lied to our own citizens, eventually being forced to fight and kill our own citizens out of fear and anger. Then endured a small but loud uprising of some citizens caught up in the faith born from the fantasy world of guns, and guerilla action. It looked good on TV, but Pasadena isn’t hollywood. Following Dead end ideals, and in the end you’re dead. Only dead without any ideals.

We don’t need more time held hostage to the warrior class of society, mad that they placed second and third on the amendment list. We don’t need a prisoner of war, nor a prisoner in chief to confine us longer in this eternal prison of war.