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Smart As You, Johnny
New York Sun ^ | 11/2/06 | Larry Schweikart (LS)

Posted on 11/02/2006 7:49:02 AM PST by LS

Senator Kerry's comments about uneducated people being "stuck" in Iraq — essentially calling the men and women of the American military stupid — is one of the political blunders of the age. Seldom does a candidate single-handedly sink his party once, let alone twice, though William Jennings Bryan came close. Mr. Kerry may have done so.

Worse, it's simply not right to promote the idea that soldiers are dumb or even undereducated. New York Times reporter Chris Hedges asserted, "poor kids from Mississippi … who could not get a decent job … joined the Army because it was all we offered them." In reality, however, the American military — yes, even the foot soldiers — is the most educated in history and better educated than the American public on average. Annually, thousands of top honor students take the military entrance exams. The recruitment test, which all inductees must pass, includes questions that many Ph.D.s would miss, and I would gladly hold a contest pitting any 10 American Army soldiers, randomly selected, against any 10 public school teachers on a standardized test.

(Read the remainder of the article at the Sun)

(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election2004; elections; kerry; republicans; votegop
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To: fr_freak
I know - I am joking. Former 11A and 18A.
141 posted on 11/02/2006 10:57:32 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: LS

Way to go, Larry!

Bravo Zulu!


142 posted on 11/02/2006 11:14:57 AM PST by bootless (Never Forget - And Never Again. And Always Act.)
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To: Bahbah

Thanks for the ping, Bahbah


143 posted on 11/02/2006 11:36:40 AM PST by GoldwaterChick (Never give in, never give in, never, never, never give in. Winston Churchill, October 29, 1941)
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To: LS

Good job. Some of these twits in the Senate really need to get out more and talk to real people.


144 posted on 11/02/2006 11:45:21 AM PST by defconw (Gearing up for W2 in 08!)
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To: LS

BUMP!


145 posted on 11/02/2006 12:00:29 PM PST by technochick99 ( Firearm of choice: Sig Sauer....)
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To: 2banana

Ah - went right by me.


146 posted on 11/02/2006 12:15:28 PM PST by fr_freak
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To: LS

Fantastic article, LS.


147 posted on 11/02/2006 12:26:56 PM PST by GregH
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To: LS
Seldom does a candidate single-handedly sink his party once, let alone twice...

Kerry's a world class fool... LOL

148 posted on 11/02/2006 12:28:37 PM PST by GOPJ (MSM's so busy kissing democrat butt that they miss big stories. Come up for air guys.)
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To: LS
The only category of heroes where the current military seems to come up short is in celebrities. Unlike World War II, where Hollywood sent its brightest stars — Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, just to name a few — and hundreds who would later be stars, the current crop of Hollywood heroes only knows how to look tough on screen.

Furthermore, contrary to the theme of so many modern war movies, such as "Black Hawk Down," "We Were Soldiers," or even "Flags of Our Fathers," where soldiers only "fight for each other," surveys of American servicemen and women show that they are quite perceptive as to the reasons for which we are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and see the struggle as a moral clash.

LS, this is wonderful stuff - I'm impressed. Thanks.

149 posted on 11/02/2006 12:35:30 PM PST by GOPJ (MSM's so busy kissing democrat butt that they miss big stories. Come up for air guys.)
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To: samtheman; LS

"randomly selected public school teachers"

Oh, so we go from not bashing the troops to bashing the teachers who taught those troops. Typical.


150 posted on 11/02/2006 12:47:15 PM PST by swmobuffalo (The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.)
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To: swmobuffalo

Care to conduct the test?


151 posted on 11/02/2006 12:52:37 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of News)
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To: LS

Congratulations, Larry. We are proud of you!!!!!


152 posted on 11/02/2006 1:16:46 PM PST by Faith
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To: 2banana
Including the infantry?

As a former infantry officer, let me tell you, absolutely YES. You can't be a 'dumb grunt' anymore - those days are long gone. If you're stupid in today's Army, you don't last long.

153 posted on 11/02/2006 1:24:44 PM PST by Terabitten (Be humble and be kind.)
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To: 2banana
I know - I am joking. Former 11A and 18A.

Heh... disregard my last post, then. I've been proudly posting without reading the entire thread for years now. :)

By the way, thank you for your service. You gave me and my daughters a free country to grow up in.

154 posted on 11/02/2006 1:27:19 PM PST by Terabitten (Be humble and be kind.)
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To: LS

"Stuck in Iraq" = Kerry's Personal Quagmire


I can think of at least 30 personal acquaintances who would do a better job in the US Senate than Jon Carry.


155 posted on 11/02/2006 2:13:25 PM PST by GretchenM (What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Please meet my friend, Jesus)
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To: LS

Happy for you.


156 posted on 11/02/2006 2:23:26 PM PST by GretchenM (What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Please meet my friend, Jesus)
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To: LS
Beat you to it. I show this film in my classes.

Classes???

That's wonderful - how did any school/college get this past the sentries?

157 posted on 11/02/2006 2:25:08 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." Lincoln)
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To: LS
the funny sign the troops made in response to Kerrry was just on the John Gibson show - he had fun with it!
158 posted on 11/02/2006 2:30:44 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." Lincoln)
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To: maine-iac7

The University of Dayton gives considerable autonomy (that's both good and bad) to its faculty. No one has ever interfered with what I teach, and I always get pretty high student evals, so I think they know to leave me alone.


159 posted on 11/02/2006 3:45:57 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of News)
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To: LS

Not only does the army attract an educated group, but many join the armed forces wanting an education, since the army provides training & subsidizes college.

My father was able to get into graduate & medical school thanks to the GI Bill. (Besides a medical degree, he got a masters in genetics.)

So I think that says a lot about the intellectual calibre & ambition of our soldiers.


160 posted on 11/02/2006 3:58:53 PM PST by MoochPooch (I'm a compassionate cynic.)
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