Don’t discourage children from joining service, Pace urges

[maddezmom]

By Pauline Jelinek
Associated Press


America’s parents should not stand in the way of sons and daughters who want to join the military, but should let them follow their patriotic instincts, the nation’s No. 2 general said Wednesday.
“Those who are looking to serve this country should be encouraged to do so,” said Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

A Marine whose son also is in the Marine Corps, Pace said the key is “to encourage our young people ... to come forward to help defend this nation ... and to encourage the families of those young folks to let them follow their instincts.”

Coming amid Pentagon recruiting problems, his comments followed a direct appeal just hours earlier by President Bush for more people to enlist in the armed forces.

The Pentagon has been suffering manpower strains because of the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army has been particularly hurt by the slowly mounting U.S. casualties — more than 1,700 in Iraq alone — a toll that may be discouraging young people from getting involved in land combat.

more:http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-945785.php

[ridgerunner]

1. That's correct

all young republicans should be encouraged to join.

[Midlodemocrat]

9. Correction: Forced

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Defend this nation from what???????????

“to encourage our young people ... to come forward to help defend this nation ... and to encourage the families of those young folks to let them follow their instincts.”

[DBoon]

5. defending our freedom from Iraqi WMDs!!

You know that without invading Iraq, we cannot remain a free country.

[Doctor_J]

18. You beat me to it

These people lie constantly, without even knowing it.

[colonel odis]

20. defend our corporations from the threat of lower earnings per share.

[Lochloosa]

33. Exactly what I thought BrklynLiberal

WMD's? Imminent Threat? Does anyone remember those phrases anymore?

[Arugula Latte]

67. Yeah, when was the last time the U.S. military was used to DEFEND

this country? You'd have to go waaaaaaay back.

On the other hand, defend and further corporate interests? Sure. All the time.

Hey, military, you can have my kids when we don't have corrupt regimes who send young people to die for Halliburton and Chevron. 'Til then, good luck!

[Imagevision]

73. General Myers recently stated June's quota have been met although

Feb-Mar.-April-May were all below meeting recruitment quota's --I guess June was a"lucky month for them?...?

[msrbly]

3. Call me stupid but . . .

how is "liberating" Iraq, a country who never threatened us, helping to "defend this nation." I realize that there are circumstances where the military truly defends our freedom but the Iraqi war is not one of them. The young men and women in the military are being used. Last I heard, when you join the military, you don't get to pick and choose which conflicts you wish to be involved with.

[Midlodemocrat]

10. You know you feel safer now that those

WMD's were found! Err, no.

bin Laden was captured! Err, no.

Iraq was liberated, and they threw flowers at our soldiers! Err, no.


:eyes:

[Amonester]

38. Yeah, but I thought there were options on enlistment forms.

Like the ones on Chimperor Cuckoo Banana's:

I | | DO |x| DO NOT VOLUNTEER FOR OVERSEAS

Guess they sort of removed them since...

:(

[Cha]

60. Military High Muckety Muck Doubletalk

Speak!

[renaissanceguy]

4. That's like telling parents

not to get in the way of their kids committing suicide. And yes...going to Iraq IS suicide!



http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/472476

[Sequoia]

6. Screw you, I'd never let my kid join, ever!!!!

Especially now, with those madmen running the USA into the ground. Patriotic, fakeriotic.

[Imagevision]

75. Me too, like I'm going to encourage my kids to join the military

with quacks Like Bush-Rove Cheney-Rumsfeld calling the shots! you gotta be outt your mind!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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

[Joey Liberal]

8. Pace's own son just left active duty

His own son just left the regular Marines and joined the Marine Reserves.

[ElectroPrincess]

16. Never to deploy again ...

But feel free to inform your Right Wing friends and acquaintances that you can join up to the age of 38? If you're older than 38 y.o. you can join a private contracting company. I don't think there's any age or health limits save for being "somewhat aware" and "ambulatory", i.e., the Warm Body criteria.

To be fair, I do think they are moral enough to turn away anyone in a "power chair." I think. ;) Grr!

[noamnety]

11. I'll be standing in my kid's way

Sacrifice is either a two-way street, like a marriage where each partner gives in return for receiving, or it's one way - an abusive relationship.

Emotional pleas that we owe it to our country to be willing to sacrifice our life for it are just abusive if we are left at the steps of a hospital to die without medical care; if food stamps are taken away from us when we fall on hard times; if we are booted out of our homes because we aren't as rich as corporations when we return from fighting for our country.

Thanks, but I'm not going to encourage my kid to enter into a relationship where she is expected to give everything, and in return she is forbidden from voicing her opinion, is in fear for her life, is forced to commit crimes, can't leave when she wants - even if she's been promised that she can, and if she's disabled while on the job, she's out the door and on her own.

If some guy came to the door offering her all that, I'd smack him and slam the door in his face.

[musette_sf]

23. you hit the nail on the head - ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP

and another thought --

so let me get this straight - the RWnuts have been blathering for years about the evils of gov't schools telling your children how to thing, since after all, YOU should be telling your children what to think, not the gov't....

with that in mind, I urge every American parent to refuse to let the gov't tell your children what to think! exercise your parental rights!

[Robeson]

44. Very well stated....

...nice post...:thumbsup:

[earthside]

12. Let's see, Pace works for ...

... Commander Cuckoo Bananas. :crazy:

The 'Commander' has two healthy daughters of military age who apparently then don't have any patriotic instincts?

[shugah]

13. patriotic instinct?

what the hell is that? :shrug:

i do know that my "motherly instincts" not only lead me to discourage my son from the military, but to, in fact, insist that he is not allowed to join up even if he wanted to (which he does not).

[mainer]

14. So where are the Bush Twins? Jeb's boy?

Can we name any close Bush relative who's serving in Iraq?

[kodi]

74. it is telling how the media refuses to point that out

.

[fasttense]

15. Brush should stop discouraging his twins from joining.

[dbt]

17. A "wartime" DESERTER is Commander-In-Chief of the

armed forces--and somebody actually thinks I would NOT stand in the way of a son or daughter joining?

Hell, NO, General Pace. Not until about a generation AFTER the Bush Crime Family is removed from office, tried, convicted and imprisoned for WAR CRIMES among other offenses. THEN, it may--MAY--be safe for anyone to join our military again.

But NOT while our military is a profit-producing arm of the White House. Fuck you very much.

[SemperEadem]

19. screw him

I will talk any young person out of joining the military, unless they feel that they have a calling for regimented life. I don't believe that feeding the beast they've created is my child's destiny or problem to solve. Until their children have been served up, dont' ask for mine.

[Jokerman]

21. Go fuck yourself, Peter Pace.

If I want to raise a child to recognize the damage being done by a corrupt administration that recklessly uses the US military to further its political goals, that's my business, not his.

[UpInArms]

22. I know a few "children" I would encourage to follow "their patriotic

instincts"

Their last name is:

BUSH

[LiberalFighter]

24. It is the duty of parents to raise their kids... not the military!

It is the parent's right and responsibility to determine if their child(ren) should be permitted to enlist in the military if they are still minors. Until that child turns 18 it is the parent's responsibility. Once that child turns 18 then at best the parents cannot force them not to join. The parents can certainly give them advice one way or another.

Pace's only interest is the destruction of the family.

[musette_sf]

25. "Pace's only interest is the destruction of the family."

but wait! I thought that was the feminists and the secularists destroying the family!

I long for the day that every wingnut and chirsto-fascist freak finally get the message, that the credit for the destruction of the family can be given to Grover Norquist.

[gatorboy]

26. Anyone know how Pace's son serves his country?

Is he on the Iraqi frontlines or in a cushy office job in the US?

[RedEarth]

27. Sorry Peter, I don't agree... www.leavemychildalone.org/

http://www.leavemychildalone.org/

[KansDem]

28. Two reason why I will dissuade my children from joining the military...

1) I don't want them to fight in wars based on GOP lies;
2) I don't want their military service ridiculed by the GOP (ie, McCain, Clelland, Kerry).

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

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

[President Kerry]

48. aha.. Welcome to DU.

So, you believe serving this criminal administration, which has lied itself into a big hole, and STILL won't admit there's anything wrong, which has wasted away the support of the whole world, which has murdered scores of thousands of civilians, and 1700+ unsuspecting US citizens, which has dragged its opposition through slime, and accused them of treason, (this list goes on and on)... YOU THINK SERVING THE AGENDA OF THIS ADMINISTRATION IS DEFENDING FREEDOM???????????

Bro, you need help..

[not fooled]

50. Hear hear, President Kerry ...

...I have no doubt that those of us here at DU WOULD support enlistment to defend this country from ACTUAL threats.

Iraq? attack based oin a pack of lies and WAS NO THREAT when we went in. Why die to support crackpot PNACers and corporatists???

[Submariner]

49. USN '65-'69 (And unlike Bush the deserter, I didn't go AWOL)

I had no trouble joining in '65 because I made the mistake of believing another Texan (LBJ) that the Maddox and Turner Joy were attacked by NVN regulars, which we found out later to be a LIE.

We are all for attacking Bin Laden's group responsible for 911, but we knew ahead of time, except for the Bushbots, that Iraq was NO real threat to the US. So that is where the wheels come off your premise that we are "violently anti-war".

"violently anti-war", WRONG

"violently anti-Bushista Iraq war", YES.

It's the LIES that make this Iraq folly so wrong on all levels. Bush has placed our troops in a meat grinder and has no plan to get them out.

[MercutioATC]

29. I told my son that if he tried to join the military, I'd break his legs.

I'm only half joking...

[othermeans]

51. I was only half-joking with my son too! I'd break ONE of his legs n/t

[Lilith Velkor]

77. My uncle (Vietnam vet) said the same thing to me

He was dead serious. If I hadn't listened, I woulda been sent to Iraq.

[RobinA]

30. When This Country

needs to be defended, I will consider supporting young people joining the military. This hasn't happened since 1941. Meanwhile, I will continue to suggest to young people who want to serve that there are many, nonmilitary, ways of serving.

[TankLV]

31. It is our job as parents to save our children from certain death at the

hands of criminal politicians who start wars based on lies for their own political gain.

It is our duty to see to it that if our children have such notions, to wait until a repuke is no longer president. It would be prudent to never trust a repuke president.

We could be waiting a long time.

[mom cat]

32. Be the first one on your block to have your boy (or girl) come home

in a box
and it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. I won't stop my kids from joining

But you can damnsite be sure that I'll tell them exactly what's going on over there, why it's going on, and how our troops are being abused by those in power. ESPECIALLY since the recruiting promos on TV portray life in the military as a game of golf here and a great workout there.

[madrchsod]

35. send the twin twits

[Massachusetts]

36. To protect THEM or US?

[MisterP]

37. Gacy: obstacles to lifelong dreams of becoming a murderous

clown "are neither acceptable nor welcome."

[KLF44]

39. They need to defend our country from

lying corrupt people like Bush and his admin.

[BornLeft]

40. Dear General Pace,

Fuck you asshole. I served and that is why I WILL NEVER LET YOU GET MY CHILDREN!! You fucking facist pig dung sucking ass.

[demo dutch]

41. Parents UNITE, do stand in the way! What an asshole!

[cliss]

42. How about the Mercs, General Pace?

They're on the government payroll, too. We have hired contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 30,000 of them. They may WAY more than the poor, underpaid soldiers who SERVE their country for a fraction of the pay that the merc's do.

Why not TITAN and CACI, General?

[Dr Fate]

43. Where have all the flowers gone?...

In front of the X-Box- that's where.

Good luck Pace.

[Politicub]

46. Hey young republican fucks

line starts to the left!

[Mokito]

52. B*llsh*t!

What Gen. Peter Pace is basically saying is that parents should be discouraged from telling their children the truth or that they love them and don't want to see them die in a bogus, illegal war, so that the Pentagon can continue their policy of bribing/cheating (naive) kids into signing in more easily.

[HockeyMom]

53. How about? Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11

and I am not going to die in an illegal war I don't agree with. That are my kids' sentiments, including the one who almost did join before the Iraq war.

[Canuckistanian]

54. Quick! Someone ask a GOP member if they agree

C'mon, someone in the Librul Media, start asking!

[Robeson]

55. Stop parenting, and give your children to us to serve the empire...

This country is really starting to give me the creeps...

[Fire Walk With Me]

56. "Don't die in service of naked greed." Is that so discouraging?

[maddezmom]

57. Army pleads for more recruits

Generals ask parents, Congress for help

By Lisa Black, Tribune staff reporter. The Associated Press contributed to this report
Published July 1, 2005


The U.S. Army is struggling to recruit new members amid the ongoing war in Iraq, and could face its toughest year ever in filling the ranks next year, the service's chief of staff said Thursday.

Already behind by 7,800 recruits, the Army is unlikely to hit its goal of 80,000 enlistments this fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, Gen. Peter Schoomaker told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The news came one day after a report that the Army--after four months of shortfalls--met its recruiting quota in June. The Army is showing the strain of fighting battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and its recruiting efforts must be bolstered by more support at home, officials said.

"We've got enormous challenges," Schoomaker told the committee. In written testimony, he noted that the goal of 80,000 new enlistments "is at serious risk and recruiting will remain challenging for the remainder of and well into the future."
more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0507010104jul01,1,3100832.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[against all enemies]

58. Post this in freeper land. Let those idiots sign up.

[Cha]

59. DEFEND? .."This Nation"?

We were the OFFENDERS! That's Bullshit!

Beg all you want..my son or daughter would not be going if they were enlistment age.

[warrens]

61. Blow me, asshole

I'm half-Canadian and my family still lives there and she's going to McGill if you asswipes put in a draft because of your bloodthirsty offensive wars. I think it is time to set up a fund for ads telling kids NOT to sign up, with lots of nice, gory shots to show them why it is such a bad idea. Let the Freepers go fight if they want to kill so bad.

[saigon68]

79. I have a few of those photos "CAUTION GRAPHIC PHOTO"

Hey Pace these guys were not having fun on the "Save Halliburton" Camping and Field Trip

[JerseygirlCT]

62. Might even get a hair of consideration if what they

were doing right now is defending the country. No way in hell I'd allow my child to risk his life on this ill-begotten war.

If they want people to sign up, they ought to start by providing the people already in with the equipment and everything else they need. Then they could try being upfront with them about their terms of service, and allow them out when time's up. They could consider paying them better, too. Don't we just love the power of the market here in the US?

[IndianaGreen]

63. What a fascist pig!

General Pace would feel more at home serving in the Wehrmacht!

[Supersedeas]

64. before * makes direct appeals--he outta double check his rationales

[Hershman]

65. Anyone remember George Carlin's 'A Place for my stuff' album?

There's a bit about 'join the service, join the f**king service. I did. I'm dead. I died in WWII...' or something like that. Reminds me of this.

[leesa]

66. What a sick fuck he is. Since when are Generals allowed to betray their

country? When did that become OK??

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

68. Translation: Don't come between your kids and the recruiters.

[Gyre]

69. I would encourage Gen. Pace

to GO FUCK HIMSELF!!! :grr:

Gyre

[Mari333]

70. Amen to that!!

I have already gone thru one kid being in Iraq for a year or more..I told the rest of my sons I would shoot their kneecaps off if they even thought of signing up..they wont..this family wont go thru that again...Gen Pace can de-fi-ne-te-vly go fuck himself ...

[confludemocrat]

71. I veell treenk de blood uff your cheeldrenn!

I eem bloody fucking ghoul disguised as Marine General, who vahnts you to geeeve me your cheeltren.

Goddamn bastard. The nightmare continues and I can't wake up from it.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

My husband and I are Army veterans who would do everything in our

power to talk our daughter out of signing up.

She's off to college next year and has never expressed the slightest interest in joining up.

If, for some unforeseen reason, she was thinking she might join the Armed Services, we would move heaven and earth to keep her from following through.

MKJ

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

72. My husband and I are Army veterans who would do everything in our

power to talk our daughter out of signing up.

She's off to college next year and has never expressed the slightest interest in joining up.

If, for some unforeseen reason, she was thinking she might join the Armed Services, we would move heaven and earth to keep her from following through.

MKJ

[anitar1]

76. Just had a talk with my 16 yr old grandson today. He

was telling me how the recruiters have dogged them at their highschool. Telling them that they will get 40,ooo dollars if they decide to enlist later. He is very aware of the scam and laughs about it but is also worried about what will happen to him if a draft starts. Somehow we will protect him, not sure how.My grandchild will NOT be cannon fodder for these despicable swine.

[Lilith Velkor]

78. Let them follow their SURVIVAL instincts

That's what I counsel young people to do. Then I tell them about what depleted uranium did to my friends.