Perils of misspeaking

When Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was revealed to have misstated on a number of occasions what his role in the military was during the Vietnam War, many leaders in the state condemned him roundly. There are many reasons why Blumenthal should have been more careful with his words. For those who were stationed overseas during the era, actually serving in Vietnam and fighting a war that was not of their making, his exaggerations could have seemed like a trivialization of their service to their country.

Blumenthal, in his statements since the revelations, makes the undeniable point that he has spent much of his time in public service over the past 30 years honoring veterans, rather than disrespecting them. He did serve in the Marine Corps Reserves, after five deferments during the Vietnam draft. He was among many who found ways to escape being sent into combat. But he has also found ways since that time to support veterans and their families by attending the funerals of those who were killed in combat and by speaking regularly with veterans’ groups across the state, as well as working assiduously for veterans’ rights.

It is unfortunate that it was at some of those speeches to veterans’ groups that he referred to himself as having been in Vietnam, rather than, as it seems he stated more frequently, “serving during the Vietnam era.â€

Wouldn’t it have been better if he had always clearly stated that he served during the Vietnam era, or better yet, served stateside during the Vietnam era? There are those among his acquaintances who say he was always accurate in their presence. There are also those who say he was beginning to depict himself more and more as having been a veteran who served in battle.

What possessed him? Why would he feel he had to inflate his service to his country, when he had done service in the reserves and has done so much to support veterans and show them the utmost respect since the Vietnam era? We can only speculate. Was it a sense of shame or regret at having acquired so many deferments during an unpopular war, emotions brought to the surface by witnessing those who gave their all in service of their country in Iraq and Afghanistan? Whatever it was, the firm apology that Blumenthal offered through the Hartford Courant Sunday, May 22, which was posted on their Web site (courant.com), goes a long way toward mitigating the situation and allowing the citizens of Connecticut to see it in the context of a long career as a public servant.

This weekend, veterans and those who appreciate their selfless service commemorate Memorial Day to honor those who have served both overseas and at home. It is a time of reflection for all. In that spirit, Blumenthal needs to continue to convince his constituency that he will maintain higher standards of accuracy in his role as a public figure.

He was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Senate from the state, endorsed by the Democrats at their convention last weekend, despite the bad press he’s received since the story of his “misspeaking†broke. He needs now to be vigilant in monitoring his references in order to put this incident in perspective. He will have to prove himself in an entirely different way than he would have had to before the spotlight was shone on his occasional exaggerations.

All will be listening carefully now. Blumenthal is usually a very articulate speaker who takes great care with his words. During his campaign for Senate, he will need to explain himself with greater care than ever before if he is to be the successful candidate, ready to represent Connecticut’s voters in Washington.

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