Stuck in Iraq

[liveonearth]

So Kerry makes a big mistake, and accidentally speaks the truth. Then he starts backtracking. Politicians aren't allowed to speak the truth. Everybody (even the Dems, even Napolitano) gets up in arms about the insult to our "forces". But if you went and asked those kids with guns, or if you did a survey, say of the level of education completed, or of their family wealth, you would find that the majority of those who end up in our military don't have the money to go to college, or start a business. They are stuck long before they end up on the front lines. The smartest ones among them are trying to get their education paid by the military, but they have to survive Iraq first. So what's so wrong about what Kerry said? This is more of what they aren't talking about, in the runup to the elections.

There's a town in Tennessee called Wartburg where 90% of the high school graduates join the military. There is nothing for them to do in Wartburg. The coal is gone. They are poor. So they join and never come home again. The town has been shrinking for years. I'd like to know how many of them are "stuck" in Iraq....

Comments

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

What did I miss? Somebody sent me an email earlier with a really smart-ass comment about Kerry that I deleted. I didn't get it. I haven't been listening to the news for the past couple of days.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Kerry was delivering a speech at a college and was telling the kids to study hard or they'd end up "stuck in Iraq"--with the implication that the no-so-smart kids ended up there. Then he claimed it was a botched joke, but in I think it was exactly his true thought that came out of his mouth. I am sorry that he is unable to claim his own words and stand proud. But it was bad enough that a dem that he was going to support prior to the election told him "don't come" and lost of people have had lots to say about it. I just feel sorry for him. He'd have done better to say "damn right that's what I said" and bring up the REAL issues. His backpedaling has landed him in a deep hole. He was already politically DONE as far as I was concerned, but this lost him more ground.

Good for you taking a news time-out.

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

Hmm... yeah, I can see why he got the reaction that he did. It wasn't very smart to imply that all of the troops in Iraq are of inferior intelligence. I do agree, he should have carried on and explained himself, rather than backing down. If you're gonna say it, you'd better be able to defend it.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

The way he's been tucking his tail ever since he lost the presidential election, I think he should take up growing tobacco.