Gook’s are the Vietnamese communist, particularly the leaders. And in McCain’s case, his Gook’s are specifically the ones that captured, tortured and brutalized him for 5 years. If you were tortured you’d have some hatred in you as well.

I completely understand and accept his statement. He would not call me a Gook, he would not call my father or anyone in my family or the South Vietnamese Government or citizens Gook’s, because they’re not.

To this day, he has a South Vietnamese flag hanging on the wall of his office.

He has the utmost respect for the Vietnamese, Viet Nam, and especially for the south Vietnamese military. He does not respect nor like the Gook’s and neither do I.

You can debate many things about McCain, he has his flaws, but this is not one of them. No matter what, he is a patriot and he truly loves this country, and he has the utmost respect for Viet Nam and the south Vietnamese Army and Government.

Why do you think Vietnamese-Americans are supporting McCain over Obama by nearly 2 to 1 while the rest of the Asians are insulted and living in a fantasy world?

Featured at Queermonton: Shades of gay by tracy

On a similar note I also find it funny that the n word would come up here, all blacks are not african by a long shot, even though there roots are from somewhere in that region. Aside from all that I think most people agree that the n-word has been for some reason blown way out of proportion, especially considering the main users of the word are the same people protesting its use. I am a jewish american(I prefer just american, hehe) and I in my entire life have never been amongst a group of jews and had someone in that group refer to another as a kike etc. and while it’s not great when I’m refered to in a dirogatory(sp) manner because of my religion or heritage I most likely would not respond, or respond with a positive comment like yeah I’m a kike and proud to be one. It’s a shame that these words have become so powerfull in the media yet behind closed doors most poeple use them freely and without malice.

And by the way, John McCain was NOT held captive by the Viet Cong. He was held in Hanoi by the North Vietnamese Army. The NVA was a formal instrument of war against the South Vietnamese Government and Army (and then, once we put ourselves into the mix, the US Army), while the Viet Cong were a mostly civilian guerrila force made up of men, women, and even children living in South Vietnam. The VC rose up spontaneously in the years after the country was partitioned at the unsatisfactory end of the war between the French and the Communist Vietnimh (mid-1950’s). They fought against the corrupt South Vietnamese Government (which we later propped up and used as an anti-communist puppet regime). The US never formally declared war, but instead sent in CIA and military “advisors,” then gradually began landing troops and sending in fighter pilots like McCain to carpet bomb the country. Like all fighter/bomber pilots, John McCain knew the risk he took. He knew he was in an undeclared, therefore illegal, war, and that the Americans were interlopers in a civil conflict. I am close to many Vietnam Vets, and none are filled with hatred regardless of their experiences, in fact, several have vacationed in Vietnam recently out of a longing for the beauty of that country and a genuine love of its people. I’ve never heard the words “gook” or “dink” from even one of them. And none of them admire what they consider whining on McCain’s part, nor his parleying of real horror into political hay.

A final note: Ironically, from the point of view of the NVA, the Americans were engaged in terrorist activties against them, and the Hanoi prison (dubbed the Hanoi Hilton by its American inmates) was as necessary to them as the Guantanamo Bay prison is to the current administration. One difference, though–those held in Hanoi had actually bombed or otherwise attacked their captors–those in Guantanamo have done–well, does anyone know?

gook means – vietcong who tortured me in prison.

i’m voting for obama and i still think the author of this article is a dipshit.

I wonder what kind of mercy would be extended to someone caught dropping bombs over the US, participating in the killing of hundreds of thousands of people? In this case, a few years of harsh imprisonment seems relatively merciful to me. Unless, of course, you consider killing the “gooks” not such a big deal.

And Haden, if you think that it’s OK for McCain to use the term in reference to his captors, then consider this. What if McCain was captured and tortured by soldiers in an African country. Do you think that people would still think it was OK if McCain said “I hate the niggers. I will hate them as long as I live.” No, people would riot and he wouldn’t have a chance at running for president. But since he directed it at Asians there’s a double standard and people don’t care. It’s really sad that you think his comments are appropriate even when taken in context.