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The Lowell Sun from Lowell, Massachusetts • Page 12

Publication:
The Lowell Suni
Location:
Lowell, Massachusetts
Issue Date:
Page:
12
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

AT 2 THE SUNDAY SUN. LOWELL. OCT. 26. 1975 For John Kerry it's law for now By JOHN J.

MULLINS Associated Press. Writer NEWTON, Mass. (AP) IliE guns of Vietnam and the television lights of war protest and an unsuccessful congressional campaign are in time past, but they're part of John F. Kerry's experience. The charismatic spokesman of tile Vietnam Veterans Against tho War a few years ago is a third (final) year student at Boston College Law School.

Politics is much a part of Kerry's past, going back at least 13 of his 31 years, and politics is plnnnwl for the future, but for now, it's law. "I always iheught I'd go to law school," he said in a recent interview. Bui, he intentionally entered the Navy after being graduated from Yale in 19b6. "I knew I didn't want to go straight to law school," he said, and there was the war and Selective Service draft at the' time. His Naval career during the war he come to oppose won him a Silver Star, Bronze Star and ihroc Purple Hearts.

lie served on the USS Gridley in the Tonkin Gulf and skippered a six man, lightly armed gunboat in the Mekong Delia before being assigned to serve as an admiral's aide in New York. Berause of his ubjections to the war, he asked for early release from the Navy. He was discharged in January, 1970, seven months early and Just after being promoted to lieutenant. After his discharge, he served as cochairman of the Robert F. Drinan for Congress Committee in 1970 in Massachusetts.

Drinan, who was dean of the law school Kerry now attends, won. During the summer of 1962, before entering Yale as a freshman, Kerry worked in the campaign Id elect Kdward M. Kennedy to Hie U.S. Senate as succes5or tp older brother and President John Kennedy. Kerry studied political science at Yale.

HE organized the veterans; against the war after appearing on national television in 1070 and being contacted by other veterans opposed to the war. More national attention came in 1971 when he denounced the war before the Senate Foreign relations Committee. He worked for the VVAW, mostly in Washington, seeking increased benefits for veterans among other things. JOHN KERRY In 107a, Kerry ran for Congress in Massachusetts. He defeated nine candidates to win the Democratic nomination but lost to a Republican in the November flection.

He said he took three months to put his campaign "In bed." Included was an $30,000 debt, all but a fraction now paid olf, thanks in pari to two benefit, concerts, starring John Denver and others. While doing litis and into the spring, Kerry served as resource development director in New England for CARE, seeking to get donors and corporations (n take on specific projects uv ei seas. There was free lance writing and speech making and a "fundamental decision." "I could run for Congress again, or take time to really just submerge, to slop being a public figure," Kerry said. After Ihe tumult of his recent past, Kerry thought It was a oo(t time to slop, consolidate his thinking and see if what he was thinking was right He applied to law schools in August, seeking admission Ihe nexl month. Harvard said it was too lale.

but one week before classes began, Uoston College lold him he was accepted. Still there was a choice. He had been offered the vice presidency of a company; his wife of three years was pregnant, and the baby was due. Fearing that if delayed, he might never go to law school. Kerry turned down The job ano opted for HC.

"I'm immensely happy that did," he said. "It'sbeen'a fabu, lously satisfying experience. I'm very, very happy that I die it." THE summer following his first year at law school, Kerry became executive director of Mass Action, a privately financed watchdog agency, that locked into loss of interest money by the state and was looking into land use problems. He resigned that position because he thought it required lulltime attenlion which lie could not give it and attend law school. "I was very sad to have to severe relations," he said.

During his second year of law school, Kerry concentrated on moot court competitions witllin the school, competitions in which students present briefs and argue cases before aclual judges. His interest continues this year, but now he is competing with students from other law schools. This past summer, Kerry worked Fulltime for the office of the Middlesex County district attorney. He had done volunteer work on appeals brieEs there earlier, but last summer he actively prosecuted cases, on his own, before six He said he prosecuted 25 to 30 cases during the first five weeks of the summer and at least cue a day after that. He won mnsi of his cases, but, "I don't took at it as a win lose proposition," he said.

"If you're going to be a good and fair prosecutor, you do the best joh you can with the facts that you have, and let the chips Fall where they may." He said he hoped defense attorneys did the same. A court officer, who said he had been a policeman for more than 20 years, volunteered an opinion of Kerry's work there. "HE'S a cracker jack as a criminal lawyer. He has a lot of poise and command of the English language. And, he knows (he law." outd like to return there after graduation or work for the attorney general's office, although there is a possibility of his joining a law firm.

"I know for sure I'd like to be in litigation (the process of resolving casesl," he said, and basically be a trial lawyer." As for political career, "I definitely plan to gel bstck inlo politics. I intend to," he said, Specifically where and when remain questions, although Kerry said he plans to stay in his native Massachusetts. "Politics is an ever changing process, one that changes too fast to be able to say where you intend In he in two years, Kerry said. go into a level of politics where 1 can be effective and feel I can accomplish (hings. "Une Hung I don't believe in is running for the sake of run tiing," he said.

"You don't have to be in politics all the time to contribute "I'm young enough to have Ihe luvnry of saying I have plenty of time." Kerry said his thinking has changed some in some areas, but not on the Vietnam war. was right on the war, and I stand by that 100 per cent," he said. All issues are important, but some arc more important than others, he Ihmks and figures one person cannot take on all issues every day. Larger issues lor him include how to put people back to work, how to reduce crime and ''how to keep institutions from breaking down." THINK spend too mueh time pushing issues which just aren't relevant to the mass of people, he said, including among such issues abortion, the death penalty and amnesty. Merrimack Valley Orthopedic Associa Les Dr.

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About The Lowell Sun Archive

Pages Available:
153,336
Years Available:
1893-1977