For those who haven't heard Rangel recently said the people who join the military only do so because they can't have a "decent career." His exact words: I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some ...
11-27-2006, 08:35 PM
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| Braccae tuae aperiuntur.  Reform Party NJ 
| American Legion demands apology from Rangel For those who haven't heard Rangel recently said the people who join the military only do so because they can't have a "decent career." His exact words:
Legion Press Release
First, we have another Democrat questioning the intelligence and commitment of our troops. Why is it always the Democrats who like to talk down about the quality of character and intelligence of the people who join the military? When pointed out that the average person in the military is more intelligent than the average American, they don't know what to say other than to backhandedly insult our troops. Why? Why is a political party so bent on making our troops seem unintelligent? Obviously not all congressmen and politicians are sharing this belief and when kerry made his statements people on both sides attacked him. Yet there was a radical group who agreed with what he said "even though he said it wasn't what he meant to say and it was an insult to our troops." Kerry admits what he said was insulting, and everyone knew he didn't mean to say it. Yet why did so many liberals back him on it? Even here on our forum liberals were saying what he said was true. Kerry's website even put an article on the front page saying his "insult" was true anyway. Why? Why is there a need to fabricate negative opinions of our troops? As the article states, perhaps his political position on the Iraq War has skewed his beliefs of our troops? This also goes back to the "you can support our troops, but oppose the war." Obviously you can, but also obviously some can't properly separate the ideals without backhandedly insulting our troops. We have news organizations showing OUR soldiers being shot in the head, we have ex-presidential nominees botching "jokes" about our military and refusing to apologize for it for days and then putting articles on their personal website that their "botch joke" was correct anyway, we have Democratic leaders questioning the commitment and intelligence of our troops, our media only shows the negatives of what is going on in Iraq, we have people like Murtha running to the media calling our soldiers guilty before an investigation has been done and before he has read the report (the military had to tell him to stop running around calling them guilty, because they were still trying to investigate and get the facts), etc etc. Why does all this anti-military sentiment come from one political camp and backed by so many of its supporters? Obviously not all liberals and Democrats follow in this mentality of degrading our troops, but it is overwhelmingly done from their camp... one simple question.. why? Does it resort back to Vietnam mentality? Generic liberal anti-war mentality? Why can't some people see that when you say and do certain things it shows implications on the troops, positive or negative that they should have to own up to. | ||||
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11-27-2006, 09:26 PM
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| Last Starfighter  Independent Northern California
| No the military is unpopular now because of the connection to President bush and the mess in Iraq. But it is bullshit because many people do join the Military because they want those educational benefits and are trying to improve their lives. I'm tired of the military bashing. Last edited by Diamond Cross; 11-27-2006 at 11:19 PM.. | ||||
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11-27-2006, 11:11 PM
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| Political Genius  Republican Yorba Linda Ca.
| Can Rangel be this dumb after the Kerry remark? I guess so!  I get the class warfare bit since most probably come from lower income groups, white and black, but when you start in about how bright these guys are? What a jerk! 
__________________ Sock It To Me!  "Bureaucracy is a Parasite that Preys on Free Thought and Suffocates Free Spirit!" - Douglas Adams | ||||
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11-28-2006, 12:16 AM
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| Never, never, never give up  Conservative Party High Point, NC
| Because, as a Democrat, he has to show that military members are victims that need his protection. Just like minorities. Just SOP of the Democratic party. | ||||
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11-28-2006, 01:07 AM
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| Banned - Self Imposed  Progressive Philadelphia, PA
| Charlie Rangel has a lot of room to speak, Oliver North is about as far right in the military as you can get and he called Rangel a war hero When the US wasn't even granting civil rights to his fellow blacks, he enlisted in the army before Korea and while serving in Korea he bravely went behind enemy lines to rescue 40 US soldiers There are no "swiftboaters" for Rangel, and Rangel was not a Korean war protestor In regards to what he said, he was trying to clarify a point he made in 2004 and this year that he believes the enlisted military today in Iraq is too poor and too minority based A conservative think tank showed him some paper they wrote saying a black liberal was wrong (big surprise) The comments themselves clearly say "join TO FIGHT IN IRAQ" today, which I can agree...re-enlisting because you are worried about your buddies dying is one thing, but after the news being flooded with Bush and Democrats both looking for a way out Iraq and draw down troops, I don't think their prime motivator would be "im fresh out of HS, ooo send me to fight in Baghdad!" and regarding the American Legion's leadership... In a letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton in May of 1999, the American Legion urged the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia. The National Executive Committee of The American Legion met and adopted a resolution unanimously that stated, in part, that they would only support military operations if "Guidelines be established for the mission, including a clear exit strategy" and "That there be support of the mission by the U.S. Congress and the American people". American Legion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  | ||||
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11-28-2006, 01:23 AM
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| Master Debator Election Moderator  Democrat Omaha, NE
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11-28-2006, 02:52 AM
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| Limited government ftw.  Paleolibertarian
| Im not surpsied and why wouldnt he say that? Why would someone who is reasonably intelligent join a force that has dropped it mission of defending america and basically become pawns in a foriegn policy game? I'd consider joining the United States armed forces to defend this country from foreign attack, but not to be deployed in the missions of the past 60 years Last edited by TheScatman; 11-28-2006 at 12:34 PM.. | ||||
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11-28-2006, 04:19 AM
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| One American Family at a Time.  Idealist The OC, California
| Originally Posted by TheScatman I truely agree with you. I know someone's whose brother just enlisted a couple months ago, and even as conservative as she is, she doesn't get why he would join now, after all that has gone wrong, and the apparent 21st Century Vietnam situation we've gotten in. Why? And the truth is, is that it was because he thought it was something that would help find himself....
 To be honest, every serviceman, that I've ever known...they have either been macho psychotics who are hell bent on getting the first "kill" on their block who go over because the think it will be cool to shoot a gun, and want to polish boots or whatever....OR....guys who had little options career wise, and thought this would be a good way to be forced to learn something that might be worth something to them when they get out. And the females I know, joined because they wanted to prove something, that they were capable of doing something like, make it through boot camp (Both ended up with desk jobs, ironically). I do not doubt that there are other reasons, such as pride for country, a sense of duty, or something of that nature, however, I can't say I actually know any of them. I think the reason why Rangel believes the service is slanted for the uneducated and people with little options in the job area, is because you have to wonder, when an 18 year old kid signs his name on their contract, you have to wonder what was missing at home that he couldn't get, and thought Bagdad had it there for them? And many of them DID join for patriotic reasons, but those were the reasons to be patriotic in 2001, not the reasons to be patriotic in 2006, and frankly, alot of people have opened their eyes since 9/11, and just with this past election, people are starting to make a statement, and it's loud and it's pretty clear. These organizations can get all upset about Rangel and Kerry saying things about the military, but the reality is, is at least the two of them talk alot more about getting those men and women home faster than the GOP does. The GOP never had a plan, never thought they would need one, and still do not have anything except a new scary video montage of muslim extremists that are supposed to scare us into keeping them in office.
__________________ "People are selfish. But they can also be compassionate and generous, and they care about the country. But not when they feel threatened. That's why this is such a crucial time. We can go in either direction. But if we don't make a choice soon, it will be too late to turn things around. I think people are willing to make the right choice. But they need leadership. They're hungry for leadership." BK/1968 | ||||
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11-28-2006, 03:14 PM
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| Junkie  Conservative Party
| Originally Posted by Thorgrim What does all that have to do with his comments ?
Those statements arent based on facts, he got called out on those statements. Why are you bringing up his service record that was never judged ? | ||||
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11-28-2006, 03:41 PM
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| Banned - Self Imposed Progressive Philadelphia, PA
| Originally Posted by Diesel66 Based on fact? what? its his belief, not his term paper
he doesnt have to go out and handcount every minority and rich person in the force, and come up with an exact mathematically formula that would satisfy him "I believe we should cut taxes" Well that's not based on facts! Look at my think tank, it says cutting taxes is bad! I'm bringing up his record because just like being a professional bodybuilder gives you leeway in criticizing the bodybuilding competitions, being a war hero gives you leeway to criticize the make-up of the military and their recruitment | ||||
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11-28-2006, 03:53 PM
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| Braccae tuae aperiuntur. Reform Party NJ
| Originally Posted by Thorgrim So because he was in the military he can call the troops stupid? Got ya. Unfortunately that logic didn't work with Kerry and I don't think it should work here.
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11-28-2006, 03:57 PM
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| Banned - Self Imposed Progressive Philadelphia, PA
| Originally Posted by JaJae It didn't work with Kerry because the GOP spent a year portraying him as the worst soldier to ever serve, and Democrats didn't like him for his arrogance
Rangel wasn't "in the military" he didn't sit on a navy boat and use morse code for a few years and go to college...he was in combat in Korea and is a real war hero... BTW, he didn't call them stupid, he said he didn't understand why someone who is just graduating right now would sign up on their own TO GO FIGHT in iraq | ||||
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11-28-2006, 04:06 PM
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| helluo librorum The Lab Moderator  Humanist Chicago Suburbs
|  This is such a non-story. Read carefully and you will see that he never called the troops stupid. And thet heritage study can go blow. The military requires HS or equivalency to get in. Of course they are going to have a higher average. Educated doesn't mean intelligent anyway. | ||||
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11-28-2006, 07:28 PM
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| Junkie Conservative Party
| Originally Posted by Thorgrim hence the SHOULD.
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11-28-2006, 07:31 PM
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| Junkie Conservative Party
| Originally Posted by Thorgrim This is his quote
Yet the military is reenlisting at very high rates. A+B =he thinks they arent bright and/or have a shot at a decent career. | ||||
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11-28-2006, 07:32 PM
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| Political Genius Republican Yorba Linda Ca.
| Originally Posted by Thorgrim Then he probably is one! That does not mean I must agree with what he says about the military like sheep. Isn't that the kind of thing Republicans get accused of doing?
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11-28-2006, 08:58 PM
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| Banned - Self Imposed Progressive Philadelphia, PA
| Originally Posted by RMNIXON No it just means he doesn't have to take the idiots who run the AL seriously
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11-28-2006, 08:58 PM
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| Banned - Self Imposed Progressive Philadelphia, PA
| Originally Posted by Diesel66 No, he didn't say that
He didn't say anything about re-enlistment either | ||||
