Whiskey:
“Mike is part and parcel of what Democrats became — hard left radicals repulsive to most Americans, who made their radical bed and now prefer not to lie in it.”
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In 1971 I was a pacifist. I was a Russian-language major, and I became an adherent of the pacifist teachings of Leo Tolstoy. Those teachings are basically the same as the teachings of Mahatma Ghandi.

During the days when the Vietnam Veterans Against the War were in Washington DC throwing away their medals, I discussed the events with other members of my third-year Russian class, which had about eight students. The teacher had grown up in Russia, served in the Red Army during World War Two, spent time in German captivity, and then emigrated to the USA. Two of the students were Vietnam veterans. We all were impressed positively by John Kerry and by the demonstration. That was a reaction that was common on campus.

When I registered for the Selective Service, I declared that I was a conscientious objector. I attended a hearing to determine by status, and the board rejected my claim. I sent my draft card back to the draft board with a letter declaring that I would refuse to serve if called up.

I was a completely sincere pacifist, but during the following year I re-examined that philosophy very critically. Eventually I decided that the philosophy was foolish, and I rejected it. I wrote another letter to the draft board withdrawing my claim and asking it to return my draft card.

In the summer of 1972 I attended summer school in the Soviet Union for two months and traveled around Czechoslovakia for one month. In the summer of 1973 I attended school in Czechoslovakia for two months and traveled around Poland for one month. Throughout all my student years I always was very anti-Communist.

In 1978 I joined the US Air Force. Although a college graduate, I served my first two years as an enlisted troop. I became an officer in 1980 and served in USAF Intelligence until 1992, reaching the rank of major.

For the following 11 years I was employed translating documents for the US Department of Justice’s Office of Special Investigations, for the prosecution of former Nazi collaborators who had immigrated to the USA.

I began voting for Ronald Reagan in 1976. I always voted for him, and I always voted for the Bushes. I also voted for Clinton both times. In this election I voted for Fred Thompson in the primaries and intend to vote for McCain in the general election.

I don’t “respect” Bill Ayers. I always opposed his Marxism and his violence. From what I know about his education philosophy, I oppose that too. However, I have some personal understanding of the political environment and factors that took many young people to angry, extreme positions for a while during that period.

With regard to William Calley, lots of people expressed sympathy and understanding for him and for the other soldiers in his unit. Nobody now should kid himself by denying that a huge portion of the US population, including military personnel, spoke out in his defense. They didn’t approve of the My Lai massacre, but they basically took a position that Calley was a young many in a morally complicated situation who got carried away and made a lot of mistakes. Just like I am saying now about Ayers.