Blatherskite

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I am a Children’s Librarian living in the Portland, Oregon area. When I am not Children’s Librianing I like to play with cameras and film. I also like playing the ukulele, knitting, sketching, and hiking.

What the hell is this “Kerry shot himself” madness

Don Irvine with Award winner Michelle Malkin a...
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As an addendum to my “have you seen outfoxed yet?” post, I wanted to add something that I chatted about on the Majority Report Blog yesterday. Some of the bloggers were talking about how Michelle Malkin, on Hardball yesterday was trying to tell Chris Matthews that Kerry shot himself in order to get his medals, blah blah blah. Matthews, THANK GOD, basically bitch-slapped her, metaphorically speaking (here’s the transcript of the show). Now, as I said above, I don’t have cable so I don’t watch these cable news programs at all. Is this what people believe? That Kerry actually shot himself to get a medal?!? That just sounds crazy!!!! I can’t believe this is the crap that is getting fed to people! It is just totally unbelievable..

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7 responses to “What the hell is this “Kerry shot himself” madness”

  1. Dianne Avatar
    Dianne

    Sadly people will believe anything. To be honest I’m surprised this wasn’t a Fox News program. I’m sure they’ll be spreading this next.

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  2. Marta Avatar
    Marta

    Actually, Monica, Michelle Malkin never said she believed Kerry shot himself on purpose. What she was referring to was that there are some questions as to whether some of the wounds he received were self-inflicted. And if they were self-inflicted wounds, did they merit 3 purple hearts? You should read her website to get proper clarification of what she said and/or re-read the transcript.

    Here is my attempt to help explain the difference. “Self-inflicted wounds” and “shooting one-self on purpose” is NOT the same thing. For example, let’s say Kerry was throwing a grenade during some training and tripped in the process. The grenade now lands much closer to Kerry than intended and as a result he gets hurt (ie shrapnel wounds). This is a self-inflicted wound. He did NOT purposely shoot himself but he was the cause of his wound. The real issue, again, is that if something like this happened and Kerry then claims he was under enemy attack but was really wasn’t, why did he lie and receive a purple heart? Now keep in mind my example is just that – an example to demonstrate the difference between the phrases. I am in no way saying that is what happened during Kerry’s tenure in Vietnam.

    To answer your question, I don’t think everyone believes he “shot himself on purpose” but, as I have said, questions whether the wounds he received merit a purple heart. Did he lie to receive the award? If so why and what does it say about his character? Apparently, the blog you originally went to didn’t get all the facts straight either and by failing to do so is spreading false accusations about Michelle Malkin too.

    Since you say you don’t have cable and therefore cannot see Hardball, I will say this -Chris Matthews over-stepped the boundaries. I do sometimes watch his program and know he talks loudly and interrupts his guests but his treatment of Michele Malkin on the show was down right rude (from the excerpts I heard via radio). I get frustrated watching these types of programs (this includes Crossfire and O’Reilly Factor) because I feel that not everyone gets a chance to articulate their thoughts/opinions/facts if someone is constantly shouting and interrupting them. Besides, if I watch TV, I do so to forget about what is going on the world and lose myself in someone else’s fantasy life.:smile:

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  3. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    I didn’t say “everyone believes Kerry shot himself” first of all. Second of all, I got this information from the Hardball transcript itself. I heard about it by chatting on a blog. (perhaps you need to go and read the comments on the blog, link above, before you rush to judgement. Get the context right) But I got the actual “facts” by reading the actual transcript. And don’t even go there with me about spreading false accusations about Malkin! How dare you turn this around on me? I was questioning Malkin and her attempt at putting the seed of misinformation out there about Kerry’s wounds being, okay, “self inflicted.” The man rescued a green beret and there was enemy fire. End of story. Why are we even questioning this? Even insinuating that he lied about it, when he clearly (and it becomes more clear each day) that he didn’t is wrong. No, it is more than wrong. It’s insidious. Michelle Malkin is playing a role in this indidious behavior by going on national t.v. and continuing to plant this seed, this seed which doubts Kerry’s record as a soilder who went to Viet Nam and served his country.
    Frankly, I don’t want to waste my time reading Malkin’s website. I could really care less about her opinion. Reading the transcript on Hardball is about all I think I can take of that woman. And frankly, I am not spreading misinformation about her. Her performance on Harball speaks for itself. ❗

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  4. Marta Avatar
    Marta

    First, I didn’t say YOU were spreading false accusations about Malkin. I said the BLOG you went to was. Please don’t accuse me something I didn’t say. ❗

    Secondly, if you ever want to try and be fair by reading her website, you would read that she was supposed to be on Matthew’s show to talk about HER book (something that didn’t happen becuase Matthew asked her to leave after the “self inflicting wound” debacle). Her intention was never to go on the show to even talk about Kerry’s wounds. It was Matthews and his producer who told her (or asked her) when she got there that she would be on longer to discuss the Swiftboat ads. I was by no means suggesting you read her site every day or week, but I would have thought that in this instance, you would have investigated the discussion more before ranting about it.

    Thirdly, the man received three purple hearts for different reasons and based on the facts that I have read and listened to, there may be some doubt as to whether he deserved ALL of them. Even the Boston Globe has questioned his military record.

    Finally, this could and should be a non-issue. However, Kerry feels compelled to constantly mention that he was in Vietnam. I would love to say to him “I get the picture, Kerry – you fought in the war and thank you I appreciate your valor but as far as I am concerned that happened before I was born so I could really care less.” If he would just release ALL of his records then all of this could be settled.

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  5. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    I’m sorry I read your comment to mean that I was spreading false accusations about Malkin. However, again, I CHATTED on the blog. I didn’t say I got any facts from it.

    What does it matter what she was on the Matthew’s show for? What does that have anything to do with anything? I am talking about what was actually said on the show.

    Why don’t you go to Kerry’s site and look at his military records yourself to get the real facts. Not the so called “facts” that the spin masters are feeding you in the news: http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html

    Frankly the is MY rant, and I will post whatever I want. It’s a stupid blog, Marta. An online journal. It’s not a friggen doctoral dissertation. I’m not going to “investigate” before I post. I post on things that I observe around me. As you can see, I am one sided, and that’s the way it is. I don’t like Bush, I think he’s a scoundrel, and that’s what I am going to post on. I think people like Michelle Malkin are scoundrels, too. I’m sorry if you have a problem with what I rant about but nobody’s putting a gun to your head and forcing you to read my blog.

    Furthermore, I really am not here to constantly defend myself against knitpicking conservatives. Mandrake and Daffodil have more patience then I do. I don’t know if I can put up with it. Go knitpick and pass judgement on someone else. Please. If you want to politely talk about issues, I don’t have a problem with that (if I can find the time to do so). But when someone comes to my place and points thier finger at me on my site, well, I don’t take very kindly to that. It’s just plain rude.

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  6. Marta Avatar
    Marta

    Monica, I don’t expect you to investigate everything you post. I just wanted you to know that there is more to the story than what you heard/read and thought you might want to take a little time to read the “other side”. You did that on the stem cell topic and I thought you would do the same here.

    I have never come onto your blog to knitpick or pass judgement and for you to insinuate that is just wrong. You know that I have rarely commented on your site. I had no intention of arguing with you about the Malkin topic. As I have already said, I just wanted to point out what she was trying to say and what you had heard were not the same thing. Looking back I should have known that your feelings towards her are so negative that you wouldn’t be able to be fair about it. What you think about her is your perrogative and I don’t dispute that. (I am not trying to mean here in anyway).

    I would continue but I need to get my daughter to bed now.

    And FYI – before you question whether I have gone to Kerry’s website, I did. I read the bio so far and started to look into the actual documents but 1. they are bit blurry and hurt my eyes so it will take awhile and 2. I don’t have the time now because I want to spend time with my daughter before bedtime. From what I have read so far, there isn’t anything new that I haven’t already heard of. I still question somethings, but then, that is my perrogative. 😀

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  7. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    Marta, you are nitpicking and passing judgement. I don’t have to insinuate it. You just are. What you did can be compared to somebody, lets say, hypothetically, you, going to a neighboor’s house uninvited and starting an argument because you overheard something that they said. How could you not think I would get pissed after I read your comments? It felt like a finger getting pointed in my face. I don’t need you telling me that I need to see both sides of the issues. Did I ask for anyone’s advice? No I didn’t. And I don’t appreciate getting it, especially in the manner you gave it. F.Y.I. If I want advice I will ask for it. Do you like people giving you unsolicited advice? Most people don’t.

    Frankly,I don’t care to see Malkin’s side of the story. It’s the same side of the story that I hear from all conservatives. The same damn talking points. I think that side of the story is disrespectful to an American hero. And frankly it sickens me.

    I think people need to realize what this kind of behavior does. I don’t know if Mandrake and Daffodil feel this way, though I kind of get the feeling that they can relate on some level. As I mentioned above, it feels like someone coming to your home and starting and argument. It’s not a nice feeling. In fact, it is very stressful to have to deal with. I am a very emotional person and I tend to be affected by this kind of thing. Having to deal with this back and forth thing with Marta today made me so upset that I came home from work with a horrible headache, and while I was at work I could hardly get anything done because I was so pissed. Frankly, I can’t deal with it in the same way Daffodil and Mandrake can. I just don’t have that kind of personality. That’s why I laid some ground rules.

    All I ask is that if you want to make a comment please be respectful. Follow the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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