The Voices Not Heard

One of the more disappointing aspects of the presidential race thus far (don't worry, there will be more to bemoan) is the smear campaign directed against John Kerry's Viet Nam war service.

Several progressives, while condemning the mudslinging, have rightly noted the absurdity of championing military service in an illegal war based on lies that caused widespread civilian deaths and suffering (sound familiar?) as proof of Kerry's leadership. If U.S. political debate were rational, wouldn't Kerry's involvement in the anti-war movement - a politically risky move based on moral arguments - be the best indication of the ability to challenge assumptions, take responsibility and do what's right? Alas, I'm not holding my breath.

But, as Vietnamese-American filmmaker Tiana Thi Thanh Nga reminds us, the Viet Nam war is not just U.S. history-become-political-football:

Who is remembering the millions of Vietnamese non-combatants who died in that conflict? They have become non-persons once again in this debate. Their families live in Apocalypse Forever, and the reasons why remains in America an argument without end. ...

There is so much more yet to be addressed. Agent Orange research, for one, before it is too late. VN is the laboratory since we sprayed the toxic chemicals there. I have filmed Vietnamese postwar survivors living among the rubble in post war Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos with serious Agent Orange related illnesses. Innocent children still die every year from landmines – a persistent daily reminder of a war we want to simply forget.

Next April 30th marks the 30 year anniversary of the war’s official end. Here we have the opportunity to mark the past in a manner that positively affects future generations. The Swift Boat controversy has brought Viet Nam back to the front pages but for the wrong reasons. Yet, this critical juncture presents the opportunity to reclaim the skeletons so that we may learn from the past and take essential steps to separate reality from myth.

Right on, sister! Again, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for whoever wins in November to do the right thing. But the U.S. peace movement should start calling attention to the real Viet Nam - the country and its people today, not partisan smear campaigns about a 30-year-old illegal war. Are you with me?