I am just one of the many veterans on the Texas Tech campus, but I am sure I am not alone in being surprised that military service has become such a hot topic in this year's Presidential election. No one is talking about the economy in 2004. Instead, "Where were you in 1971?" seems to be the question of the day. Accusations have been thrown around about both President Bush's and Sen. Kerry's military service, and there is even more.
The Democrats must believe veterans as a whole are up for grabs as a voting bloc since their convention's theme was Kerry's service to his country, and there have been signs that say "Veterans for Kerry" held up at almost every Kerry-Edwards rally.
So is the veterans' vote up for grabs this election year? That is hard to say.
I am a member of a couple of veterans' organizations, and among these groups there is a real sense neither party does a great deal for veterans. Democrats in Washington show little interest in veterans' issues, and Republicans tend to take the veterans' votes for granted.
I know many fellow veterans on campus, and the common denominators among us are: a stronger degree of discipline, respect for our country, a shared hatred for needless bureaucracy and a keen interest in foreign affairs and military issues. You cannot help but pick up these traits when you are in the military. Other than that, veterans come from all ages, races, religions, and we come from all over the world.
Veterans are like any other group of voters in the United States, except more tend to be conservative. There are Democrats, Republicans, and many do not vote. This is fairly representative of America as a whole.
This also means probably some "Veterans for Kerry" are at Tech, along with those who strongly support Bush's foreign policy. I am a veteran who will vote for President Bush, and Stenholm for Congress. One is a Republican, the other is a Democrat, and both are strong on the issues that matter most to me.
I really hope the presidential campaigns start to focus on issues like the economy and our nation's place in the world. Kerry deserves respect for serving in Vietnam, when many chose to avoid service; Bush should be respected for his service and what he has done as president in support of our armed services.
Believe me, being in the military is a big sacrifice, and all honorably discharged veterans have certainly earned their veterans benefits, including respect from others. With Bush and Kerry, both should learn to respect each other's military service, and move the presidential race from the events of 1971 to the issues facing our nation in 2004.
- William Mattiford, graudate student and honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army
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