Good luck there, Old Sarge!!
Posted on 09/29/2004 7:41:48 AM PDT by Old Sarge
Your hardest task will be one at which you already seem to excell: be honest, be fair, be truthful. Look a young man or woman in the eye and tell him/her what is ahead.
God bless you for your service.
John Kerry Explains War Funding Vote
WASHINGTON - On the eve of a foreign policy debate with President Bush, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said in an interview that his explanation of why he voted in favor of additional funding for the war in Iraq before voting against it was "one of those inarticulate moments" in the campaign.
SNIP: "It was just a very inarticulate way of saying something and I had one of those inarticulate moments," Kerry said in an interview broadcast Wednesday on "Good Morning America" on ABC. "But it reflects the truth of the position ... I thought that the wealthiest people of America should share in that burden. It was a protest."
SNIP: "We should not have gone into Iraq knowing today what we know," Kerry told ABC. "Knowing there was no imminent threat to America, knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, knowing there was no connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein, I would not have voted to support war."
I don't know about anyone else, but I sure as heck do not want an "inarticulate" President. Nor do I want a President who supported gutting our intelligence community to the point where information about Saddam and the location of WMDs was compromised. I do not want a President who cannot connect the dots between Saddam and giving aid, comfort and refuge to known terrorists.
But most especially, I do not want a President who refuses to have compassion for the Iraqi people regardless of the presence of WMDs.
Good luck on your new venture!
Yep. And you won't believe it, I can hardly believe it myself: two per month.
Old Sarge you are great!
I will be at your service to help in your quest to make America and it's Military the best in the world.
One man can make a difference (and one woman too).
Best of luck to you.
Sarge: I find the best verbal victories are won with using the words of the founding fathers. Ethics and truth doesn't change over time, they're absolutes, so this "new" war on terrorism is an old fight for freedom.
I frequently compare today's war with what brought about freedom for our nation. The majority of the people of this nation didn't even want their own independence until they saw that we were the winners!
For reasons that will be evident later, Federalist Paper 37 is my favorite and deserves serious study. Freepmail me if you'd like my 'translation.'
God Bless You........
Good luck there, Old Sarge!!
Old Sarge, there are some interesting John Kerry in Quotes: Version 4.0 on www.rightwingnews.com/category.php?ent=2283
I'm using them on some of my "undecided" friends.
Good luck and God Speed.
It would save you time and give a complete overall picture of what we are facing. From another "Old Sarge". :0)
Wandered through college in search of a major--found one that won't help you but took enough classes in history, poli-sci, and journalism to be of some help and I've been voting since 1984 (first chance I could) and haven't missed a vote yet.
Well, let me know what I can do and again God Bless You, sir.
WOW! What a cool graphic! Thanks, Sarmajor!
ping
Here you go Old Sarge!
Ammo to stop the draft rumors.
Right from Kerry's site.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040210043828/www.johnkerry.com/issues/natservice/
National Service Plan Highlights
"Service for College" Initiative
As President, John Kerry will call on young people to help strengthen America's security and address unmet community needs. In return, he believes we should offer young Americans and their families the opportunity for a college education. A Kerry Administration will offer Americans the chance to earn the equivalent of their state's four-year public college tuition in exchange for two years of service. If service members decide not to go to college, their award can be used for job training or to help start a business. John Kerry will set a national goal of half a million young people serving their nation every year within ten years. President Bush promised to double AmeriCorps, but he broke that promise and let Congressional Republicans cut the program in half. John Kerry believes we need to think big and do better and get 500,000 young Americans serving the nation.
100,000 Older Americans in Service
As President, John Kerry will defend and strengthen vital programs such as Medicare and Social Security, but he also believes on calling on America's seniors to give their time, experience, and expertise to an America that needs their help. As President, John Kerry would create the Retired Not Tired Program. By mentoring students, helping the infirm, or working in their communities for 10 hours a week, members can earn up to $2,000 a year tax free that they can apply to an education grant for a family member or a member of their community. Alternatively, seniors will be able to use these funds to defray their own health care costs. John Kerry plans to engage 100,000 seniors a year in service in the next decade.
High School Service Requirement
As President, John Kerry will ensure that every high school student in America performs community service as a requirement for graduation. This service will be a rite of passage for our nation’s youth and will help foster a lifetime of service. States would design service programs that meet their community and educational needs. However, John Kerry does not believe in unfunded mandates. No state would be obligated to implement a service requirement if the federal government does not live up to its obligation to fund the program.
Creating a New Community Defense Service
John Kerry believes we must create a new Community Defense Service to be guided by our nation’s first responders. This service would be comprised of hundreds of thousands of Americans in neighborhoods all over the country. Service captains would be there to make sure our communities have the information they need and are ready to respond a crisis, complimenting but not supplanting the work done by police, fire fighters, and other first defenders. Volunteer Service Captains would receive training and education to assist their communities in the event of an attack. They would be trained to help identify local health professionals and experts in the area, provide information on local evacuation or quarantine plans, and stand ready to be of assistance to first defenders. This initiative would be funded out of the Department of Homeland Security and administered by local community leaders, including first responders. This 'surge' capacity would be in addition to the expanded numbers of first responders John Kerry has already proposed hiring.
A Summer of Service for Teenagers
Thirteen to seventeen year olds are too old for child care and too young for many summer jobs. John Kerry believes we should tap their energy and idealism through a summer of service learning. Supervised by AmeriCorps members, these young people could help out in nursing homes, clean up local areas, or teach seniors computer skills. In turn, they would receive a $500 grant to apply to their college or vocational educations down the road. Parents do not want to leave their children alone all summer but most cannot afford other means of care. The Summer of Service program would give parents peace of mind and at the same time build more responsible and dedicated young citizens and stronger, more vibrant communities.
A Rebirth of the Peace Corps
If there was ever a time that everyday people in developing countries around the world needed to see idealistic, hard-working Americans struggling to help them succeed, it is today, in the aftermath of September 11th. Peace Corps members are the greatest ambassadors of goodwill and foot soldiers for democratization this nation has - and we need more of them. John Kerry believes we need a major expansion of the Peace Corps for this new century and in this new era. In the White House, John Kerry will push to expand the Peace Corps to 25,000 members.
Recruiting More Americans to the Military
The highest form of service is military service. America's military is having trouble recruiting and is increasingly relying on the reserves for active duty. John Kerry believes we must change that. The complicated missions we face and technologies we use depend on it. In a Kerry Administration, no university that receives federal aid will be allowed to ban the ROTC from their campus, except for religious reasons. And the ROTC scholarship program will be adequately funded so that students can attend the college of their choice. John Kerry will also make modernizing our GI benefits a top priority, because no program has been more successful increasing educational opportunities for veterans while also providing an incentive for the best and brightest to make a career out of military
Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc.
Semper Fi, Old Sarge!
Yeah Old Sarge! Thank you for your service!!
A good point: the words of Sam Adams would make a great plaque to hand behind your desk:
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
-Samuel Adams
You'll need to counter their MTV indoctrination. Remember these kids have been taught that:
Republicans are mean, evil, racist
Democrats are kind, open minded
Corporations are Bad
Street Bums Good
Military Bad
UN Good
Tax breaks Bad
Socialism Good
Christians Bad
Kyoto Good
Talk Radio Bad
Class Warfare Good
Logic Bad
Emotion Good
War Bad
Appeasement Good
Heteros Bad
Gays Good
Patriotism Bad
Abortion Good
In short, they've been filled with sour cynical darkness. Kids are impossible to impress, but they are secretly yearning for some genuine discipline from adults who they can admire. They've been pandered to and lectured at for 18 years, and many are sick of it.
Old Sarge, this current crop of young Americans could very well contain the best ambassador/soldiers the world has ever seen. They are doing amazing things in Iraq/Afgan and YOU get to have a hand in that.
You are doing God's work, never forget that. The kids will surprise us all, and a coming generation of Republican control will retrain the US populace to show GRATITUDE to our troops. They will be cheered for their service, and YOU will be beaming with pride.
And while you are there, tell them your job would be easier if we tripled the pay of our brave soldiers.
Salute! Thank you, sir, for your service. God bless you.
We've got your back, Sarge! God bless!
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