He was a patriot. He led forces in the critical capture of an enemy position early in the war effort.
Five months later, this American commander led an expedition of 1,150 riflemen against an enemy's capital city. The American commander drove his men hard through the wilderness, overcoming leaky boats, spoiled provisions, treacherous rivers and near starvation to arrive at the capital in November, his force reduced to 650 men.
He fought on. Joining with another unit he pressed the attack to another key enemy city where his troops took heavy losses and he himself was wounded. As he charged at the enemy, his leg was taken out from under him – an enemy round running right through his thigh.
And yet, he fought on! For five more years he fought valiantly and was wounded in action a second time (again shot in the leg). No general was more imaginative than he, no field officer more daring, no soldier more courageous.
Yet Benedict Arnold has gone down in history not as a hero but as a villain, a military traitor who, as commander of the American fort at West Point, N.Y., in 1780, schemed to hand it over to the British.
He deserved to be called a traitor. And he deserves to be synonymous with treason.
When America had a clear moral vision, we were able to see that people like Benedict Arnold were traitors. Yet today, a man who was far less valiant and far more treasonous is about to be nominated by the Democrats for the presidency.
John Kerry couldn't hold a candle to Benedict Arnold in terms of service. Arnold served longer, with greater distinction, and in more dangerous environs.
Kerry has outdone Arnold in only one respect – Kerry's treason was more insidious, more immoral and more harmful to America than Arnold could muster.
Sadly, America has lost her ability to understand issues of treason. So, the name Arnold remains interchangeable with treason and Kerry continues to be called a "hero." On many of America's elementary-school playgrounds, boys will still playfully call each other "Benedict Arnold" in order to convey a feeling of betrayal. These children will see no moral dichotomy in understanding clearly that Arnold was a traitor, while a man of lesser character vies for the presidency. This is not the fault of our children, but the fault of American adults who have grown weary of right and wrong.
So, Kerry who sold out to the communists is a hero. Kerry who accused American soldiers of horrific war crimes without a shred of evidence is a hero. Kerry who threw his medals at the White House in the 1970s is a hero. Kerry who cavorted with Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden and the radical left at a time we still had brave soldiers on the field of battle is a hero. Kerry who voted against every major weapons system now defending us in the war on terror is a hero. Kerry who wanted to abolish the CIA is now a hero.
After all, the argument goes: "That was 30 years ago!" And yet, Benedict Arnold (rightfully) is still considered a traitor 224 years later.
We have indeed lost much of our moral compass in two short centuries.
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