Charlie Rangel thinks my husband is an ignorant hick

I've been letting this one simmer for a bit, deciding if I was going to join the chorus on it or not.

I am. Click for rant!

Here's the exchange from Fox News Sunday (My comments in bold)-

WALLACE: Congressman Rangel, you caused quite a stir this week when you said that you're going to introduce a bill to reinstate the draft. Here's what you said this week in a newspaper article. Let's take a look. "The great majority of people bearing arms in this country, for this country in Iraq, are from the poorer communities in our inner cities and rural areas."

But a recent and very detailed study by the Heritage Foundation, Congressman, found the following and I'm going to put that up: 13 percent of recruits are from the poorest neighborhoods. That's less than the national average of people living in those neighborhoods. Ninety-seven percent of recruits have high school diplomas. Among all Americans, the graduation rate is under 80 percent. And blacks make up 14.5 percent of recruits for the military; the national average is 12 percent.

Congressman, in fact, contrary to what you've been saying, isn't the volunteer army better educated and more well-to-do than the general population?

RANGEL: Of course not. I want to make it abundantly clear that I have been advocating a draft ever since the president has been talking about war, and none of this comes within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. (I'll give him this much, at least he's consistent on the issue.)

But 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.(What do you know, he's right! They don't do it for the money or benefits, THEY DO IT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. I know it's old fashioned, but SOME of us do still take the idea of duty seriously.) And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. ( Again, he knows better than the Heritage folks who did the study? They're just a bunch of radical, religious, right-wing warmongers anyway, right Charlie?)

If a young fellow 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. (Hmmm....my husband GAVE UP a decent career to re-enlist for 3 1/2 years, and he's not the only one!)

So anyone who supports the war and is against everyone sharing in the sacrifice is being hypocritical about the whole thing. (Sorry Charlie, we all DO share the sacrifice, but just like EVERY OTHER WAR, we don't all do it the same way.) The record is clear, and once we are able to get hearings on this, everyone will see what they already know, and that is that those who have the least opportunities at this age find themselves in the military, as I did when I was 18 years old. (Oh, NOW I get it...because HE was an ignorant hick that didn't have any other options at 18 and joined the military he assumes that's the case for EVERYONE. Hmmm...He seems to have done alright by it!)

So you can see for yourself, here's the Heritage Foundation Study.

I'm just getting sick of all these uppity politicians calling our servicemen ignorant hicks and rubes because they consider joining the Army to be a worthwhile plan. Good grief, I know we joke about 'military intelligence' being an oxymoron, but can you REALLY see trusting our national security to the kind of people Mr. Rangel thinks make up most of the armed services?

I have a nephew in Intelligence in the Marines, and I know he's no imbecile! I've seen the 63 Bravos the my husband works with, and while they are all punk kids (he gets called 'old man' and 'grandpa' alot!), they are sharp and on the ball. I don't know how many of them thought they had no other options, but the majority of them enlisted AFTER 9/11 and knew that they would likely be going to war.

I thank God for all the men and women who have chosen the Armed Forces as their vocation, career, or even just a stepping stone to soemthing better. THEY do it, and do it vey well Mr. Rangel, so that we don't HAVE to have a draft!


Other's blogging about this today-
Texas Rainmaker.
Hugh Hewitt.
Wizbang.


Tags-GWOT