November 01, 2006
Left Unsaid
I am sick sick sick of the media "following up" by blowing up the non story of John Kerry's "gaffe" -- for example, Cokie Roberts asked Duval Patrick about it in the Massachusetts gubernatorial debate last night. WHAT, pray tell, does this have to do with the price of chicken? Are we all taking our journalistic lead from Rush Limbaugh?
This is what John Kerry failed to say:
If you don't study you may end up in Iraq, and if you survive your first tour, you may be sent back multiple times, in which case you may be blown to smithereens or simply lose one or two limbs, or your cognitive function in the process.
Even if you return, seemingly unscathed, you may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which will cause you to feel empty, depressed, unable to concentrate, continually frightened, experience flashbacks of the deaths of your comrades, have nightmares, panic attacks, be prone to angry outbursts which will have a devastating effect on your family relationships and cause secondary trauma to your children. It will be hard to hold a job or go to school.
You will probably not receive adequate treatment for your physical or mental disablities because veteran's benefits have been cut back by the Bush administration.
If you are underprivileged, undereducated, undersocialized and have no prospects for the future, joining the armed forces hoping to play in a military rock band or get on-the-job training, may seem like a good alternative. But it isn't. You are being exploited by an administration who is willing to sacrifice your lives for their own immoral ends.
You may be bullied when you return and try ask legitimate questons of your Republican Senator.
During the regretful Vietnam War, there was a draft in place, so that if you flunked out of college you did indeed get sent to battle. We do not have a draft in place yet, but we might.
If you can't find it in your heart to study hard, you might try reading Doonesbury for inspiration.
Too long for a soundbite?
Cenk Uygur had the right idea when he suggested that
Anytime a reporter asked about Kerry's remarks, every Democrat should have started the sentence with the words, "Let me tell you who has to apologize to the troops, these Republicans in the administration and Congress for what they have done..."
Photo note: From the Deep Flag Collection. Rattier than ever.