Student activities for use with John Kerry's 1971 speech against
the Vietnam War.
Before they read the speech, ask students what they know about John Kerry's and George Bush's service during the Vietnam War: Which of them served in Vietnam? What were their attitudes about the war? What has each campaign said about the other candidate's Vietnam War service — or lack of service — and war-related activities? [A helpful, classroom-friendly timeline comparing the service records of Kerry and Bush is at www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/02/02_400.html. Claims made by each campaign about the other's wartime service — or lack of service — are evaluated at www.factcheck.org.]
-
As students read John Kerry's 1971 testimony on the war, ask them to underline or highlight the evidence Kerry uses for his opposition to the war.
-
Kerry says that "this country, in a sense, made them [US soldiers] do" horrible things in Vietnam. Why does he believe that? Why does Kerry blame the country and not the government?
-
What does Kerry mean by calling anti-war veterans "winter soldiers"?
-
According to Kerry, why was it wrong for the United States to be fighting in Vietnam?
-
Kerry says "We found that most people [in Vietnam] didn't even know the difference between communism and democracy." What evidence does Kerry use to reach this conclusion about "most people" in Vietnam?
-
In what ways does Kerry consider this a racist war?
-
The most famous line from Kerry's speech is "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" Why do you think that this was the most memorable line from the speech?
-
Kerry says that the war is "part and parcel of everything." What does he mean by that?
-
Who is he angry with for the horrors of the Vietnam War?
-
When Kerry delivered this speech there were still U.S. soldiers fighting in Vietnam. Do you think this speech was unpatriotic? Why or why not?
-
What does Kerry hope this speech will accomplish?
-
What are the similarities and differences between U.S. involvement in Vietnam and U.S. involvement in Iraq? Do you think that soldiers returning from Iraq might begin to make similar speeches? [See the powerful interview with Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey published in the Sacramento Bee about why Massey turned against the war. It is online at www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6201.htm.]
