Representative Betty McCollum and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Jr.:
Dear Representative McCollum and Mayor Carter,
I attended the recent "Commemoration and Flyover" event held in conjunction
with "The Wall That Heals" exhibit on the Capitol grounds, and I heard both of
you speak there. Representative McCollum, I heard you thank the people of
Southeast Asia who joined in "the fight for American values." And I thought I
heard something similar from you, Mayor Carter.
So I requested copies of your remarks from your offices. Representative
McCollum, your thanking the Southeast Asians was not part of your prepared
remarks, but I definitely heard the reference to American values in your
acknowledgement of their joining our efforts in the war. And today, Mayor
Carter, I received a copy of your remarks, in which you said: "It is humbling
to gather here today to reflect on those who served in the Vietnam War. The
Wall That Heals is a testament to their bravery, and to the values our country
has fought for throughout its history."
Such comments distress me no end. Maybe I'm wrong, but as well-educated,
progressive people, I don't believe either of you sincerely believe we were
fighting for American values in Southeast Asia. Surely you have read lots of
material, including excerpts from The Pentagon Papers, that belie any such
claim.
It is one thing to respect those people we ask to kill and die in our names. It
is quite another thing to pander to militaristic thinking that can only make
future wars more likely.
You probably are familiar with David Halberstam's book The Best and the
Brightest. He too wrote about highly educated and liberal people -- who were
also clueless. I don't think either of you are clueless, but I wouldn't have
been able to tell that from your June 23, 2018, remarks about "American values"
or "the values our country has fought for throughout its history."
Sincerely yours,
Chuck Turchick
Minneapolis, MN