N.Z. Bear nails it on the Kerry kerfuffle. Thank God (really, I mean that) for the Internet and the blogosphere. In case you've been living under a rock, or away from your computer for the last two days, on Monday, Senator and former Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, told a group of students at Pasadena City College the following:
"You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."Today, within a matter hours, a picture raced its way around the globe, as some soldiers responded to Kerry's gaff, and his subsequent attempts to blame the negative reaction to his words on "despicable Republicans" and “Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country,” who misinterpreted a "joke." The photo (which for some reason I can't get to upload here) is a group of eight soldiers holding up a giant banner which reads, "HALP US JON CARRY-WE R STUCK HEAR N IRAK." In the photo the K is backward, but you get the picture, right?
Anyway, describing the image is a little anticlimactic, but the point they make is so important. I'm glad it's soldiers making it. Our soldiers are not in Iraq because they are stupid. They are there because they are brave, and self-sacrificing, and disciplined, and purpose-driven, and the list goes on. Many of them are also extremely well-educated. These men and women have the right to respect from all Americans, including the political leaders of this country. If you don't see what the big deal is, and why Internet and television pundits have jumped all over this, or why many people feel it's so important to defend the respect of our military, read N.Z. Bear's post. This isn't just a political issue, and an attempt to cash in on Kerry's blunder before the midterm elections. It's an attempt to defend our soldiers as they were not defended with Vietnam, when people like John Kerry led the way in condemning our military. There are many of us who won't sit by while that happens again, even if it is a "joke."
Okay, per reader request, I went to get link information on the photo, but decided to try to upload again, got it from another source, and got it to work. Here it is.
Update: Here's another examination of the Iraq/Vietnam connection to John Kerry's misstatement, at ShrinkWrapped.
(via Instapundit)
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