Parent-trap snares recruiters

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05223/552161.stm

The tune changes at some homes when they hear 'sign here'

Thursday, August 11, 2005

By Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Staff Sgt. Jason Rivera, 26, a Marine recruiter in Pittsburgh, went to the home of a high school student who had expressed interest in joining the Marine Reserve to talk to his parents.

It was a large home in a well-to-do suburb north of the city. Two American flags adorned the yard. The prospect's mom greeted him wearing an American flag T-shirt.

"I want you to know we support you," she gushed.

Rivera soon reached the limits of her support.

"Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people," she told him.

[Child_Of_Isis]

1. "our kind of people"

Must be referring to republicans.

[phantom power]

their naivete would be almost touching, if it wasn't so #$@!#$ evil.

Has the world seen this amazing level of un-self-conscious classism since the 19th century?

[musette_sf]

9. "NOCD"

You and the military are Not Our Class, Darling.

But we want you to know that we rilly, rilly support you.

You won't mind if I don't ask you to come inside, will you?

Ta ta now, and God Bless America!

[durablend]

3. LOL!

"R U BLIND?!?!? Didn't you see the Bush/Cheney 04 bumpersticker on the Escalade in the driveway?"

[Kittycat]

29. Support the Troops ribbon on a Hummer

We have a couple of those driving around our area.

[ikojo]

52. I've not only seen W-04 stickers and Bush/Cheney stickers

on fancy SUVs but also on beaten and torn up trucks as well.

[Orion The Hunter]

5. She probably was like..

..."Why don't you try the inner cities. Those poor people are who you are looking for."

Sheesh....we support you all right, as long as we don't have risk our own lives!

[damntexdem]

22. My God, two flags on the lawn and one on the chest --

what more can these people be asked to sacrifice! ;-)

[rodeodance]

2. "Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people," she

whow whow.

[Wickerman]

4. "We support the war, just use some poor family's kid, not mine"

"Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people," she told him.

[rodeodance]

6. gives new meaning to 'either you are with us or you are not"

[saigon68]

44. Or go sign up a Few "negroes" they need jobs

Maybe one of those "greasers" too

[bluestateguy]

7. I support parental authority

Conservatives have bitched for 30 years that parents are not authoritative enough with their children, so they should be applauding this ;).

[Dhalgren]

41. Oh, the conservatives are applauding this - for their own kind.

But where do these uppity poor and colored parents get off trying to deny their children the only means of making it above the servant class?! (Of course, in the military they will still be "servant class", but we don't have to tell the sub-humans that now do we?)

Makes my skin crawl just discussing these affluent traitors...

[FlemingsGhost]

8. I got news for you, Mom. "Your kind of people" started this mess.

Walk the walk, or STFU.

And burn those flags. You've soiled them, with your ignorance and foolish nationalism.

[damntexdem]

23. These colors don't run ...

certainly they don't run down to the recruiting station to sign up. LOL!

[NNN0LHI]

10. If more parents did this there wouldn't be enough soldiers for illegal wars

I hope it catches on.

Don

[damntexdem]

24. And think of what it would do for flag sales, ...

not to mention the T-shirt market.

[phantom power]

11. We need to introduce this woman to Cindy Sheehan.

We can have her tell Sheehan all about how military service "isn't for our kind of people."

I'd pay to see that action.

[tavalon]

32. Naw, that's not fair to Cindy

She is a restrained, calm person but everyone has their limits.

[yorkiemommie1]

12. ' our kind of people '

now what could she possibly mean by that? chickenhawky kind of people. lipflappers? blustery flag wearing flagwavers? oh.... THAT kind of people. Now I get it!!!

BUSH's KIND OF PEOPLE!!!!!!!!


edited to add: I wrote the paper a letter.

[spuddonna]

13. Let me guess, Fox Chapel? :)

Sounds like it... The rich wear their 'patriotism' on their house, car, and front lawn, but not in their HEARTS.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

16. More flag waving types in Wexford, Pine-Richland, Cranberry

I really don't see too many 2-flag houses around Fox Chapel but do see it around Wexford...more new money; hence more neocons there than Fox Chapel or Sewickley.

Too bad they didn't give the name so we could look them up on the County Assessment webpage.

If I had sons old enough to be recruited, I wouldn't let them enlist in this BS war either. Of course, I don't have any false patriotism emblazing my car or home either.

[spuddonna]

18. That's probably true...

Hubby and I lived in Cranberry about 5 yrs ago, and the whole area seemed very conservative... Even though I grew up near Pgh I never drove through Fox Chapel - my Dad would say "If you drive through there with our old rust covered car, you're going to stick out like a sore thumb, and I wouldn't be surprised if the cops stop you". lol Not sure if my Dad was paranoid, or just really smart! :)

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

25. But Teresa Heinz is from Fox Chapel & where Edwards as VP was announced

Remember the pictures of John and Teresa, the kids and the Edwards family last summer? That was all taken at Teresa's Fox Chapel home.

Not all of Fox Chapel is evil.:D

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

38. Could be. How many of the Kerry/Heinz kids served or are

serving in the military, btw?

Oh, that's right... none.


/asbestos suit on!

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

40. And they shouldn't be in that mess either

Only the W-supporting neocons should be over there. It's their mess...they need to show THEIR "patriotism" by serving their POTUS.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

43. Seems like Kerry supported the mess, no?

Or did I miss something?

[saigon68]

45. Lots of DINOs SUPPORTED THE MESS

We here called them all sorts of bad names 2 and one half years ago.

Kerry and LimpMann or Losermann being 2 of them.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

46. Right, so my call for his kids to go is not out of the question?

Correct?

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[saigon68]

49. I agree definitely

And a Hearty ADIOS to the Nut-Job rustic who posted the above DRIVEL

NOW DELETED.

[spuddonna]

42. That's where that was!? That's cool!

I had no idea that they had a home there... That's not too far from where I grew up! Guess I've been away too long. Actually, my autistic nephew goes to a great school in Fox Chapel... I shouldn't have generalized. Too easy to demonize people that way... :)

Thanks for the info. Some time when I get back east maybe I'll take my Dad for a drive to see if we can do some John and Teresa spotting. lol

[Talismom]

14. When are the average working stiffs in middle america, who

voted for Chimp going to see that THESE are his people? What does it take for them to see that to the neocons, they are cannon fodder and servants? It frustrates me beyond almost anything else that he got their votes!

[redwitch]

15. Marine Staff Sgt called here this morning looking for my son

I told him not to bother, waste of his time. My son says "Make music, not war!" He is off to college in 2 weeks and I want him to live a good long life free of my govt's insanity. As long as our leaders waste lives in the current fashion I think everybody should "Just say no".

[Roy]

17. She's perfect for the Arrest C. Sheehan Campaign

She gets my vote.

:sarcasm:

[hangtotheLEFT]

19. You All Are Missing the Point!

Yes, the woman is a repuglican, so i am not at all surprised at her comment. very typical.

I am, however, more disgusted with the fact that, even after quoting that disgusting statement made by that back-asswards rich bitch, the Post-Gazette decided the story would focus on the difficulty in recruiting, period!

Hey fuckwads! How about the story that the half of America who was stupid enough to vote for Bush are the cowardly half of America who wouldn't sacrifice a fucking hair on their head to our Country!

I hate living among these fucking scumbags more & more every day!

[TalkingDog]

20. Has anybody written the Post Gazette?

I think this woman should be humiliated to the fullest possible extent. We don't know her name, but SHE knows who she is.

Get enough of the neighborhood pissed off enough to start a gossip-fest about which of their high-brow slatterns made them look bad and she will lie in bed at night cringing with fear that she will be outed.

Anybody up for it?

[yorkiemommie1]

21. i already did

using the contact info in article

[RamboLiberal]

36. I wrote a LTTE a couple of hours ago

Since I'm local to Pittsburgh I hope it gets published. I'm betting they get a lot of letters, especially since a caller to local talk host Lynn Cullen brought it up on the air.

BTW, the writer of this article, Jack Kelly, is very right wing. Surprised he led it off as he did. Maybe even he is getting disgusted with the Chickenhawks.

[TalkingDog]

39. The spousal unit is originally from Moon Twp.

His parents still live there. He got a chuckle out of the story as his dad has started going off about how upscale and expensive Sewickley and that area has gotten.

Of course, it's no Upper St. Claire....

[democracy eh]

51. someone's LTTE

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05225/553294.stm

about half way down

"Her kind of people?

I wonder how many people read "Parent-Trap Snares Recruiters" (Aug. 11) and noted the suburban mother's comment, "Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people." What kind of people is it for exactly? She was wearing an American flag T-shirt and proudly displayed two American flags in her yard. What a hypocrite! I am sure she voted for George Bush, too."

I am a suburban mother, too. I have two sons, one a member of the U.S. Army, although not currently in Iraq, and one not in the military. I do not support George Bush and his war, and I certainly do not consider myself unpatriotic. If people like this woman's "kind" had family members at risk of dying or being maimed in war, perhaps our troops would all be back on American soil sooner. Since President Bush's daughters are eligible to serve in the military and do not, he obviously is like this mother -- the war is not for his "kind of people" either.

God bless Cindy Sheehan, the mother whose son died in Iraq, for trying to get George Bush to explain his noble cause."

[BiggJawn]

26. So? It's not for my "kind of people ", either.

When you get right down to it, Military service isn't for anybody's kind of people...

I told my kid 4 years ago
"I dunno, I think this crazy-assed Mo-Fo is gonna pick a fight with somebody, i just KNOW it. You might get killed in the Army fighting for bullshit...."

Thank Random Chance for Allergies....

[HeeBGBz]

27. Let the poor fight the war

While "our kind of people" collect the blood money.

What a bunch of skanks.

[rainbow4321]

28. My daughter goes off to college in a few weeks....

and I have already given her the "I don't care what they offer---$ for college, a job or the 'don't worry, you won't leave the State of Texas' bullshit ...if anyone from the military, Nat'l Guard, or Reserves approaches you...RUN". She assured/reminded me where she stands politically and it is NOT in support of chimp's wars.

[Ernesto]

30. Wow Don, what a find!

Keep up the good work!

[NNN0LHI]

31. Give RamboLiberal the credit. He posted it first in GD

It was falling like a rock over there so I cross posted it here. Take care.

Don

[RamboLiberal]

37. Thanks for the credit NNNOLHI

BTW, this RamboLiberal is a she - I kinda stole the moniker after the election off a Lynn Cullen caller. :hi:

[paineinthearse]

33. "We've stopped the bleeding,"

From further down the article: ""We've stopped the bleeding," said Lt. Col. Michael Curran, chief of recruiting."

What an appropriate analogy!

[jody]

34. Many thanks, I've sent the article to my many Repug friends with

the email title "Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people"

Not surprisingly, none of them want their children or grandchildren to fight in Bush's war.

[VegasWolf]

35. FOX News Corp demanding to know what is wrong with the "lady's"

statement.

[leftchick]

47. Guess what they will adjust next to get more recruits?

The AFQT....

~snip~

On the other hand, the military's stiff educational standards make recruiting more difficult. At least 90 percent of those entering the Army this year will have a high school diploma. The figure is 96 percent in the Marine Corps.

"There are a lot of people who are interested, but they can't pass the ," said Staff Sgt. Mark Hatfield of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, who recruits in five Pittsburgh area high schools.

"A third of the people we talk to cannot pass the AFQT," said Sherman of the Marines.

[NNN0LHI]

50. They will likely go with the new National Guard standards

National Guard relaxes recruiting standards

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-04012005-470797.html

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Army National Guard, which recently increased its age limit in an effort to reverse a decline in recruitment, is now opening its doors to less educated people.

Under a policy approved this week, the guard will accept recruits with at least a ninth-grade education, as long as they get a satisfactory score on a vocational aptitude test and obtain a General Education Development diploma within three years of signing up, said spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Milord at the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va.

Previously, recruits needed a high-school diploma or GED certificate to enter the guard, said Pennsylvania Army National Guard spokesman Capt. Cory Angell.