Judge the whole man, and not just his medals

I am responding to a letter to the editor that appeared in the Sept. 4 edition of The Daily Progress headlined “Obama lacking military fortitude.”

Sen. John McCain served in a distinguished career in the American military and paid a terrible price as a POW in Vietnam for seven years, and Americans should be grateful that men like John McCain responded to his country’s call to service.

However, the letter writer makes the assumption that service in the American military gives a person special insight into handling foreign affairs and especially the Russian bear. Not necessarily.

Barack Obama came of age as a young man in the early 1980s, when America was at peace and after a Republican president, Rich-ard Nixon, had established the all-volunteer military.

There was a time when it was considered a rite of passage that all healthy, able-bodied young Ameri-can males would serve in the U. S. military. This has not been the case for the past 30 years.

Unlike former President Will-iam Clinton, Sen. Obama did not avoid military service while Amer-ica was at war.

I would like to point out that both President Woodrow Wilson (a native of Virginia,) who led the United States during World War I, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who led the United States during World War II, never served a day of their lives in active military service.

American military leaders have made great American presidents, such as George Washington. Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy were able to draw upon their experience in the military and in combat to help them make decisions once they became president.

But we have also had American presidents who had military experience who were disasters in the White House. I can think of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Jimmy Carter, who was a commander in the United States Navy.

There is no established career track that qualifies one, or prepares one, to become president of the United States.

In the words of the late Republi-can Senate Leader Everett Dirksen, I ask Americans to judge Barack Obama, to judge the total man.

Judge his experience, judge his compassion, his insight, his ability to motivate people, judge his stand on the issues.

I believe that Barack Obama is the most qualified candidate to become the next president of the United States.

Paul Edward Long
Charlottesville