Who Is The Real Patriot?
In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.
In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)
The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation.
What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.
While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.
Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?
After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities.
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.
5 comments:
Awesome! He's a devil-dog for sure!
So what. A lot of people join the military and serve honorably and DON'T bitch about it. This "patriot" has become a millionaire while bashing the country that makes it possible for assholes like him to become millionaires.
Do you think if Barack Obama had left his seriously ill wife after having had multiple affairs, had been a member of the “Keating Five,” had had a relationship with a much younger lobbyist that his staff felt the need to try and block, had intervened on behalf of the client of said young lobbyist with a federal agency, had denounced then embraced Jerry Falwell, had denounced then embraced the Bush tax cuts, had confused Shiite with Sunni, had confused Al Qaeda in Iraq with the Mahdi Army, had actively sought the endorsement and appeared on stage with a man who denounced the Catholic Church as a whore, and stated that he knew next to nothing about economics — do you think it’s possible that Obama would have been treated differently by the media than John McCain has been? Possible?
And — this is fun to contemplate — if Michelle Obama had been an adulteress, drug addict thief with a penchant for plagiarism — do you think that she would be subject to slightly different treatment from the media than Cindypills McCain has been?
Sepp? Anyone? Is this how responsible media operates? Is this an example of how racism plays no part in American politics!
No man, Barack Obama is the biggest threat to the racist white establishment that they have ever had to deal with and they are out to destroy him with what ever it takes....
It's a very scary world out there, just start looking as the Anti Obama websites out there and we aren't just taking slander, there is a real subtext to inspire and incite.....
Sepp, in many ways, in principle, you are right, but....
We are taling about principle and the people I m talking about have some pretty warped values. I could give you a few web addresses, but I don't even want to give these guys traffic or a ip address to track.
Perhaps I speak too strongly when I say white racists, a lot people would not think of themselves as racist, but when push comes to shove and they are with the folks they feel comfortable with, they don't want that black guy president.
Washingtion is pretty shaky right now and there are a lot of folks who don't want someone who is committed to changing the way business is done rocking the boat even more.
The same with corporate America and say what you may,
I believe firmly that Barack Obama wants to change this and more...
I believe it's positive.
I sure as hell don't want more of the same!
I don't think there is one side which will win this debate. Majority has always dispised the minority up and down history. This unfortunately is a losing arguement. There will always be bitterness between races. The more the media candures to white extremist and black extremist, the fire will still burn bright. This is unfortunate for men like Obama. No man/woman is perfect especially in government, but the choices in this election (generally speaking) are quite disappointing. This is the best America can do??? Ugh! I believe it is going to take a long time to recover from the next presidency, not to mention the damage which was caused by the previous one.
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