Of unintended consequences of the "botched joke".

[Mass]

As you remember all, Kerry's manifesto for the 04 election was "a Call for Service". I was thinking about that when I was rereading the reactions that followed the "botched joke" hysteria.

While the RW nuts were yelling about Kerry smearing the troops, and even more, a lot of progressive (and not so much progressive) papers, particularly in the South, saw another angle in the subject: the social making of the US army and how it affected predominantly minorities and lower-income people. This was also what pushed Congressman Rangel's bill in order to bring back the draft.

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=6026.

Now, I know this is NOT what Kerry was speaking about, but when I read his comments on Tuesday, October 31th, this is also the first thought that crossed my mind.

A few of these articles:

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/articles/newsarticle.html?id=80

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20061108_08pinn.31e1062.html

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20061108_08pinn.31e1062.html

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ruth_lop_061103_why_kerry_was_right.htm


I was wondering if there was not a "theme" and a campaign to start about service and how all parts of society should be a part of it. It was one of the reasons I was not so hot concerning the proposition about "service" vs "education" that he proposed in 04. While it was a very pragmatic (and therefore useful) way to offer low-income people a way to college that should definitively exist, it also gave the impression that rich folks did not need to serve, which is obviously not something that Kerry thinks.

I was wondering whether there was not a way for a political figure to make lemonade out of lemons with this, though I am not sure how. Given the number of articles I have read on the subject (including from people who did not like Kerry and were mad at him), this issue is really touching a nerve. What do people think about that.

[wisteria]

1. Something like JFK, Ask not what your country can do for you, but

what you can do for your country. "Freedom isn't free". Everyone, no matter rich or poor should feel an obligation to serve their country just for the honor of living in such a great country?

If this is what you are getting to, I like the idea.

[Mass]

2. Exactly... And who better than Kerry can make this point in our political world.

[wisteria]

5. I could see Kerry naturally pushing this idea. Really. n/t

[nolies32fouettes]

3. I support the service > education because it offered an alternative

to the military.

I already have work/study. I work 30 hours a week. I attend college 36 hours a week. I am working on the scholarship blog again this semester too. I have college loans to pay. And I'll be indept for a long time after I'm finally done.

I support the service > education theme because it served many purposes: help your country and help yourself. The ways you could have served extended beyond military service: they included working in lowincome areas, mentoring, etc...


I'm not sure how to make sure that it isn't just the lower economic classes who are called to duty in the 'service > education' but what I do know is that college is becoming unaffordable to people who are doctors and lawyers too. This reaches the upper middle class. Only the mega-rich will be able to afford college soon. As it is, many people my age are worried about if they'll even have a decent paying job after they graduate to pay for these loans.

[Mass]

4. The issue of college affordability is a real issue. I have a son who is a

junior in high school and is starting to look at options for college. We are living litterally a couple of miles away from two of the most prestigious universities in the country and there is exactly 0 chance that he could afford that. Even UMASS is going to be difficult financially, and we will have to look for college loans that he will have to repay, and we are not even clear that he will be able to continue his focus on what he wanted to be his major: international affairs and languages.

This was not my point. My point is that some things should be considered as a due: education is one, and some things as a duty: service to your country, military or civil is one, and this whereever you are in society.

[nolies32fouettes]

7. I'm sorry. I took you intial comment opposite.

Mass--might I make a suggestion?

I have benefitted greatly from dual enrollment (and homeschooling). But when I graduated highschool, I had over 60 credit hours that transfered to the initial college I chose. Of course because I transfered colleges and was involved in Music instead of liberal arts, the credit I had coming in were only good for electives. (Music colleges never accept prior music classes.)

My sister graduated last year with an associates in IP and at her college, they accepted 94 credit hours.

We had an unusual charter highschool that we attended. But even most highschools offer A.P. classes and A.P. testing for college credit.

[Noisy Democrat]

8. I did a lot of mine at community colleges

I took Russian the summer before I graduated from high school, at the local community college. Even after I was accepted to University of California, when money got tight, I took a leave of absence and did 2 quarters at the local community college instead, and transferred the credits back to UC. We saved a lot that way, and frankly, I thought the Russian classes I took at the community college were better than the language classes at UC.

[blm]

6. It might not be a bad idea to compile all the great commentaries that BACKLASHED against BushInc

Friedman and KO and Seattle PI and the many others - - That backlash in widespread media could have been exactly the wind the Dems needed right before election day. Plus, it motivated and energized the base, re-angered again at the hubris of BushInc and their corpmedia SMEAR MACHINE.