People who don't do their homework or try to better themselves don't get stuck in Iraq

[BOSSHOG]

They join Free Republic and daily check in to maintain their ignorance and hate and dust off their fake patriotism. Many can also be found at focus on the family, what a quaint little name for a bunch of constitution hating Nazis.

Senator Kerry had his boots on the ground. The hero of free republic deserted the United States Military to avoid a drug test.

Our kids are dying because bush lied and Senator Kerry is supposed to apologize for telling the truth?

Keep this motherfucker on the front burner.

[Virginia Dare]

1. Let's face reality for just a moment...

I realize that John Kerry didn't mean to imply as much, but let's face it, there is a disproportionate percentage of young people joining the military these days because they have no other options, other than minimum wage dead-end jobs. Hell, even a good education doesn't guarantee you a middle class lifestyle anymore.

I don't mean to imply that there aren't any kids who genuinely want to serve their country, or that the military isn't an attractive lifestyle for a lot of people, it obviously is, but the fact remains that for many, it's the only possible way out of a bleak future, and far more of those kids will end up joining than those who have enjoyed a middle or upper-middle class upbringing with all of the advantages that come with that.

It doesn't mean that these kids are any less worthy, dedicated, or able, it just means that by necessity they have different motivations.

Personally, I think there needs to be more parity, that families in the lower economic tiers should not bear the brunt of our sacrifices.

Is acknowledging as much insulting our troops?

[zbdent]

2. A caller to the Ed Schultz show last night also pointed this out ...

the Repukes forced schools to accept military recruiters into their schools or else face funding elimination ... which, of course, does not affect elite, private schools, or schools in rich districts ...

therefore, the recruiters are, by default, able to target the underachievers ... not the people who are able to get into college on smarts alone, instead of legacies (like Commander Photo-Op)

And isn't the military the place that people who like others to do their thinking for them like to go? The "ordered" lifestyle ... I guess it was great when you didn't have a war to go to, but then the $$$ that the repukes always screamed about "Clinton cutting" (actually, started by DICK Cheney) was that which went to the military complex, not to the actual soldiers' salaries ... (isn't that comical ... Rush Limbaugh screaming about how the 9/11 families get compensation, but the soldiers get little ... when his people are the ones who want the $$$ to go to the private suppliers and the corporations instead of giving decent living pay to the soldiers?)

[Virginia Dare]

3. The hypocrisy of the whole thing is just astounding...

and the media is going to obsess over parsing words to see whether John Kerry insulted the troops or not. Meanwhile the Repukies send more of them to slaughter every single fucking day.