As I said before, I do not think John Kerry meant to say that only dumb kids who don’t study join the military and get stuck in Iraq. But Charlie Rangel (D, NY), the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said much the same thing yesterday on "Fox News Sunday," and there is no doubt he meant it. If you want to see what a leading Democrat thinks about our troops, read this (I quote the entire question and answer so there is no question of selective editing):
"CHRIS 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?
REP. CHARLIE RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: 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. 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. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment.
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.
So anyone who supports the war and is against everyone sharing in the sacrifice is being hypocritical about the whole thing. 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."
There is really nothing else to say.
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