A lot of people seemed to take John Kerry's word for it recently when he claimed that his military insult was actually a muffed shot at the president. I didn't. As I said in this post, Kerry and his fellow Democrats really believe that the vast majority of our troops are men and women too stupid to do anything else. That they are stuck in the service of our great country.
We want more proof, you say.
Well, I give you Rep. Charles, Rangel, D, N.Y. Watch this exchange on Fox News recently.
Here's what he said:
I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.
Sounds like the same Kerry rhetoric to me. The fact that these people actually hold public office with influence over our foreign policy, military and veterans affairs is frightening.
Like Kerry, Rangel has wartime experience, having served in the Korean War. But he, and most Dems, are clearly out of touch with the men and women who are doing the fighting in this war. Volunteers all and more educated than their peers.
You may recall that Rangel also proposed recently that we reinstate the draft.
I am pleased to say that my military experience was quite different from his. The men in my unit were not mostly poor or mostly uneducated or mostly minority or mostly anything except patriotic and courageous young men. There was a lot of bravado, of course, and I don't believe that any of those men really wanted to go to war. But neither would they have shied away from their duty to their country and fellows.
I'm sure that young men and women do join the military to get out of bad neighborhoods, or to try and escape poverty or to take advantage of educational opportunities and there's nothing wrong with any of that. But I believe that the vast majority join because of a deep-rooted sense of pride in their country and a desire to serve her. They have obviously been taught virtues that Rangel does not possess or maybe lost somewhere along the way.
I believe that selfless service for your country and the greater good of mankind is an honorable and noble thing.
I believe that the virtues of personal honor, duty, courage and responsibility should be cherished and upheld to the highest degree.
I believe that no one is free until we are all free.
And I believe that only better men the Rangel and Kerry can provide us with - and maintain - the freedom they we all enjoy.
But that's just me.
Now if Rangel and Kerry wanted to STFU and really do something important for this country, they could push for more support of our servicemembers. Pay our soldiers a higher wage, take care of their faimilies while they are away and take much better care of our veterans and retirees.
What a novel concept.
Previous posts:
More at:
- Hot Air: Video: Rangel says men join the army only if they can’t have “a decent career”
- Sgt Hook - This We’ll Defend: Stuck Again (Drill Sgt. Bleu U.S. Army ret.)
- Stop The ACLU: Rangel: Men Join The Army Only If They Can’t Have A “Decent Career”
- Sister Toldjah » Rep. Charlie Rangel disrespects our military - again
- “7.62mm Justice” » Rangel, Sit Down & Shut Up
- BLACKFIVE: Who exactly is lacking a connection to our armed forces?
- BLACKFIVE: Charlie Rangel- Another condescending jackass
Charlie is still miffed about being drafted himself. The irony is that were it not for the GI Bill, I doubt he would have been able to go to college and Law School and been firmed entrenched in Congress since 1971.
Seems he owes a debt of gratitude to the military and was the recipient of the gift of education that he would want to share with others.
OPPS - I digressed into logic - apologies!
Posted by: Flag Gazer | November 27, 2006 at 02:48 PM