On this Veteran’s Day, it will be well to remind ourselves that there are those among us who steal valor and suck the honor from the marrow of the nation’s heroic bones. A few months ago, the Australian Broadcasting System (ABC) put together a documentary called “Stolen Valor.” Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who lied numerous times about his service in Vietnam, is among the dark characters in the film.
I am writing this for members of my family, and for others who may be interested. My twin sister Donna died a few hours ago of stage three lung cancer. The end came quickly and somewhat unexpectedly. She was preceded in death by Lisa Pesci, my brother’s daughter, a woman of great courage who died still full of years, and my sister’s husband Craig Tobey Senior, who left her at a young age with a great gift: her accomplished son, Craig Tobey Jr. My sister was a woman of great strength, persistence and humor. To the end, she loved life and those who loved her. Her son Craig, a mere sapling when his father died, has grown up strong and straight. There is no crookedness in him. Thanks to Donna’s persistence and his own native talents, he graduated from Yale, taught school in Japan, there married Miyuki, a blessing from God. They moved to California – when that state, I may add, was yet full of opportunity – and both began to carve a living for them...
Comments
To lie is knowingly to say the thing that is not.
Mr. Blumenthal said several times that he had served in Vietnam.
He did not serve in Vietnam. It is not possible that he did not know he did not serve in Vietnam.
Therefore he lied, several times.
I like your explanation of why he lied – Blumenthal several times gave himself up to the emotions of a moment and yielded to what he wanted others to believe about him – better than his; unfortunate slip of the tongue, sorry.
But I would like your explanation even better had you said that that a majority of people in the state discounted his lies because they believed his lie about the lies. People sometimes do that.
I do not wish to count myself among that majority.
Don