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Debate Hits Carter Pardon

By VVAW

On October 10 about 40 people attended an open forum and debate sponsored by the Milwaukee Chapter of VVAW. The chapter had challenged the Democrats of the VFW to debate the issue of amnesty after Carter had made it an election issue with his limited pardon speech to the American Legion in August, and the question about amnesty during the first Presidential Debate.

As the leaflet put out by the chapter said, "VVAW, along with hundreds of thousands of American people demanded Universal, Unconditional Amnesty for All War Resistors. Carter's pardon would only affect 50,000 out of over 1 million Americans in need of amnesty, including 650,000 less-than-honorable discharged vets, 30,000 military deserters, and 227,000 draft violators. But our differences go far beyond mere numbers. Amnesty more than anything else speaks to the crux of the war in Indochina and the ability of the rich to send us off to fight for them in the future."

The democrats sent the head of Carter/Mondale Campaign Committee for the State of Wisconsin. From the beginning it was clear that this guy was perfect to represent Carter and the class he serves. He talked out of both sides of his mouth, wishy-washy as hell, and spent as much time promoting himself and his accomplishments as he did promoting his candidate.

As it ended up, the debate spent more time on the whole question of the elections and whether we should vote, put our faith in the system to bring about a change, or whether we should rely on our own strength and struggle as the only way to win anything.

For the vets, workers, students and youth who attended the debate, it was a lesson in the real world about the election jive--clearer than any discussions could have brought out. When we'd finished with the Democrat's flunkey, he thanked us for inviting him and almost ran for the door.