Speech #940056865

And for all kids in America. We should hold out the warm hand of welcome and compassion. now that they are all here. knowing that mistakes were made and errors of judgment committed on both sides. but recognizing that recriminations are futile and that now. with the war ended. our Nation must take a collective deep breath and start anew. I we vote today to sp...end millions of dollars to provide compassionate relief ard assistance to these Viet:anmese refugees. we must finally determine that the sam compassion and relief must finally bc e::tcnrled to those of our children who are refugees from America. Thcre remain many thousands of young American Inen who inust live away from their families and friends. in e:.ile at home or abroad. because they refused to participate in a war which the overwhelming nAajjrity of Americans now consider to have bcen misguided at best and immoral at worst. These young men are the victims of war as much as--perhaps nacre than--many of the refugees who managed to escape only because of their wealth and connections. It is time for a declaration of full and unconditional amnesty. As we offer these Asian refugees the warmth and safety of America. we must invite our own young men finally to come in from the cold. President Ford has declared that the Vietnam war era is over. It should be over. too. for the men who were among the first to realize that it should never have begun.