Supporting the war takes more than hanging up yellow ribbons (? Young GOP)

[RamboLiberal]

http://nevadaappeal.com/article/20050626/OPINION/106260021

<snip>

And while a significant number of Americans support the war, they aren't willing to make the sacrifice to go and fight it.

If you are one of those who supports the war, ask yourself this question. Why don't you sign up to fight it, or urge your children or others who are capable to serve to sign up? If you aren't willing to do that, then do you really support the war? Does that yellow ribbon on your car really mean anything?

If this war isn't worth interrupting your current civilian life to go and fight, perhaps it's not worth fighting.

I'd like to pose these questions to the thousands of people who will be flocking to the Young Republicans National Convention in Las Vegas next month. I would guess that a wide majority of them are in favor of the war. But why aren't they signing up? They are making a big deal out of collecting donations to send to the troops. But unless they are willing to strap on the boots and fight, it's an empty, and even pompous gesture, made by people who consider themselves too good to do the dirty work to advance their policies.

[Erika]

1. War is not their thing

They don't want to take up the spots of the "economically challenged" who volunteered in the hopes of education benefits.

They are just like Bush and Cheney.

[KurtNYC]

13. Yes - And they have answers for why THEY won't sign up....

"Frankly, I want to be a politician. I'd like to survive to see that," said Vivian Lee, 17, a war supporter visiting the convention from Los Angeles. Lee said she supports the war but would volunteer only if the United States faced a dire troop shortage or "if there's another Sept. 11."
...
"If there was a need presented, I would go," said Chris Cusmano, a 21-year-old member of the College Republicans organization from Rocky Point, N.Y. But he said he hasn't really considered volunteering.
...
"I physically probably couldn't do a whole lot" in Iraq, said Tiffanee Hokel, 18, of Webster City, Iowa, who called the war a moral imperative. She knows people posted in Iraq, but she didn't flinch when asked why she wouldn't go.

"I think I could do more here," Hokel said, adding that she's focusing on political action that supports the war and the troops.

"We don't have to be there physically to fight it," she said.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/14/112453/270

:eyes:

[RamboLiberal]

14. BTW, it appears that the Knight Ridder site with quotes you posted

has been scrubbed. It was from last year's Young Repuke convention in San Diego. It was working Friday - wonder what quoted Young Repuke's quoted had daddy call Uncle Karl to get it scrubbed!

[dissent1977]

20. My favorite quote

"If there was a need presented, I would go,"

So if there is no need being presented then why are we fighting this war in the first place? :eyes:

[benevolent dictator]

2. Agreed. We have an anti-war protest

every week, and my dad always brings a sign that says:
"Bush supporters:
You voted for it,
go fight it.
Send your kids!
www.goarmy.com"

On the back of my car I have a piece of paper that says "If you really supported the troops you'd have sent that $1.99 to your local VA hospital instead of buying a yellow magnet." I may have to change it to "If this war isn't worth interrupting your current civilian life to go and fight, perhaps it's not worth fighting." Heh. I like that.

[Shallah Kali]

3. why just their kids? The miltary is calling up the elderly!

People in their 70s because they are so desperate for help! They should all join up and demand the age limits be raised higher so they can all quailfy. They voted for it, they say anyone who questions the war is a trator but isn't willing to put themselves in harms way. Nope they have other priorties like watching Faux News and complaining about the evil liberals.

[oscar111]

4. 70-yr-old called out of retirement to army

i definitely recall that headline, think it was some retired army doctor, now in the national guard, called up to do some desk job.

Can someone verify?

Also, how old can you be and still volunteer to join? I expect there is no age limit, since Army has lots of desk jobs.

With this in mind, there ought to be NO young republicans running loose over here in the US. They should all be in Ramala or Baghdad, or similar locales.

And there should be fewer adult republicans here as well.

[tavalon]

5. I thought

it was someone in his 50s.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. Nope, a 70 year old oral surgeon (links below)

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryN1207OLDSOLDIER.htm

http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=999

Dude had not only retired from the Army, but he'd retired from WORK entirely!

Surgeon, 70, back in Army

Retired Colonel ordered to Afghanistan

BY R. NORMAN MOODY
FLORIDA TODAY

Dr. John Caulfield thought it had to be a mistake when the Army asked him to return to active duty. After all, he's 70 years old and had already retired -- twice. He left the Army in 1980 and private practice two years ago.

"My first reaction was disbelief," Caulfield said. "It never occurred to me that they would call a 70-year-old."

In fact, he was so sure it was an error, at first he ignored the postcards and telephone messages asking if he would be willing to volunteer for active duty to "backfill" somewhere on the east coast, Europe or Hawaii. That would be OK, he thought. It would release active duty oral surgeons from those areas to go to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan.

But then the orders came for him to go to Afghanistan.

[RamboLiberal]

12. There is an age limit on joining - I think it was early to mid 30's

Though I read recently that the military was thinking of upping it to 40 since so many people now are fit - yeah right.

But at least 101st Fighting Keyboardists will now not be able to trot out the age excuse! P'ssst, someone needs to hint that boot camp would be a great way to get their lardy asses in to shape!

[MADem]

22. The rule is that you have to be able to do twenty years active

by age 55--that means you cannot be at or past 35 when you join. The reserves and guard recently upped the limit to 39, but for the active forces, it remains that you must not have reached your 35th birthday at the time of swearing in on active duty.

On the back end though, once you have jumped that hoop, and especially if you are commissioned, they can keep you forever, or drag you back at any time. Grace Hopper and Rickover come to mind...

[RamboLiberal]

25. A couple of weeks ago I remember seeing that they are thinking

of upping the active duty limit to age 40. So it's not the rule - yet!

On edit - it was a WP article from earlier this month:

The Pentagon is also considering asking Congress to double the enlistment bonus it can offer to the most-prized recruits -- from $20,000 to $40,000 -- and to raise the age limit for Army active-duty service from 35 to 40, he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/10/AR2005061001897_pf.html

[MADem]

26. That will require a change to US Code (Title 10)

Will they pass it in the dead of night? They've got to do something, the numbers just aren't there. Either that, or a draft.

Our friends at Vets for Peace have an interesting timeline on that possibility: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Military_draft_102403.htm

What happens during a draft?
Sequence of Events

Here is a brief overview of what would occur if the United States returned to a draft:

1. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZE A DRAFT
A crisis occurs which requires more troops than the volunteer military can supply. Congress passes and the President signs legislation which starts a draft.

2. THE LOTTERY
A lottery based on birthdays determines the order in which registered men are called up by Selective Service. The first to be called, in a sequence determined by the lottery, will be men whose 20th birthday falls during that year, followed, if needed, by those aged 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. 18-year-olds and those turning 19 would probably not be drafted.

3. ALL PARTS OF SELECTIVE SERVICE ARE ACTIVATED
The Agency activates and orders its State Directors and Reserve Forces Officers to report for duty. See also Agency Structure.

4. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND MORAL EVALUATION OF REGISTRANTS
Registrants with low lottery numbers are ordered to report for a physical, mental, and moral evaluation at a Military Entrance Processing Station to determine whether they are fit for military service. Once he is notified of the results of the evaluation, a registrant will be given 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement, or deferment. See also Classifications.

5. LOCAL AND APPEAL BOARDS ACTIVATED AND INDUCTION NOTICES SENT Local and Appeal Boards will process registrant claims. Those who pass the military evaluation will receive induction orders. An inductee will have 10 days to report to a local Military Entrance Processing Station for induction.

6. FIRST DRAFTEES ARE INDUCTED
According to current plans, Selective Service must deliver the first inductees to the military within 193 days from the onset of a crisis.

[benevolent dictator]

28. Go fight it AND send your kids....

We're telling them to go and bring their kids with them, basically.

[meg]

6. Yellow Ribbons means support the TROOPS!!!!!!!

NOT support for little Snippy's war.

[formercia]

8. Call the local military recruiters

and tell them how they can make their quota for the next year with all of the fresh meat at the convention.

Let's see how fast those little chicken hawks can avoid the Marines.

[noamnety]

9. That convention is begging for some street theatre

something like billionaires for bush, but they need recruiters for bush.

[formercia]

10. Go get some recruitment pamphlets

and give some of your time to pass them out to the attendees.

You can still have a good time with a cheap package deal from your travel agent.

[formercia]

11. support the troops

Lend a shoulder to a comerade in arms on the battlefield.

[go west young man]

15. Hey dudes its not easy getting one of those yellow stickers ya know?

I had to charge $500 to my dads credit card for that sticker. Well actually $495 for the keg party at our frat and $5 for the sticker.You should have seen the firefight I had with my dad over that one. You wanna talk about war is hell. Anyway if I went to Iraq my GPA might dip below 3.5 and then my dad would have trouble making it look legit when he gives me a cushy job in his corporation. And he might hold off on the money for spring break in Cabo. And dudes that would not be cool. Plus I am trading in my Excursion for an 06' Tahoe next month and I don't want to lose out on that. I wonder if I can find a stcker for the new truck? I don't want my patriotism to sag. Besides I can't go to Iraq my girlfriends dad has booked us all a trip to Vail next winter and it would be outright antisocial to miss it. Well dudes I gotta run. Toby Keith is playing the forum in town tonight and I have two tickets. I love that "American Soldier" song. Toby Rocks almost as much as Bill O'Reilly!

[obreaslan]

16. So true! If 53,000,000 people voted for B*sh...

Why are we having such a recruitment issue?

The army recruiters should be looking at the list at http://www.fundrace.org for thier targets. they can type in thier local zip codes and get down to work.

[Drifter]

17. Just thought of a great sticker/magnet idea

Support our Troops ... Become One


Cheers
Drifter

[TankLV]

18. OK - this is where the pavement meets the road.

Is there any group of dems that is going to set up recruitment tables at these events? I for one am willing to re-arrange my busy schedule to man a table.

Anybody else live in Vegas who's wiling to put a few hours on the line?

Local DU'rs can PM me - don't know if anyone else has suggested this yet.

Update: Just called the local Democratic Party headquarters (the number listed in the latest edition of the Yellow Pages is wrong - had to go thru a couple more 411 calls to get the right number, but that's another issue) - they knew nothing about this convention. Anybody have an exact schedule of times and places? They gave me a couple numbers of the "young democrats" to call - sounds like individuals just like me, not someone officially in the party HQ. Seems all to casual to me - which is another problem I have with the local Dem Party, which is also another story.

[RamboLiberal]

19. Convention is July 6-10th at Mandalay Bay Resort official website

http://www.yrnc2005.com/index.cfm

This year's convention will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino from July 6-10

This ought to get them fired up and enlisting - NOT!
YR FREEDOM FIGHTER PANEL:
The YR FREEDOM FIGHTER PANEL will feature Young Republicans from across the nation who have participated in the fight against terrorism. Many of our members have either fought in Afghanistan or Iraq and bring an intimate perspective regarding the war on terror. This panel will also give YR's the ability to honor our fellow members and U.S. troops. As Young Republicans it is important that we show our support for their efforts on behalf of the United States of America. Participants in this panel will be announced as we get closer to the convention. All of our panels will be interactive, allowing for participants to ask questions of panelists.

http://www.yrnc2005.com/events_agenda/index.cfm

Love to get a mole in to that. Also be fun to hear from the ladies or gentlemen of the night - bet they'll be busy!:evilgrin:

[formercia]

21. It used to be illegal for prostitutes to work Vegas

cach a few 'lawbreakers' for the significant other back home.

[TankLV]

23. Can anybody just walk into a recruiting office and get a bunch of

enlistment forms to pass out or have people sign up?

I've never done this before - and from the looks of things, it might just be a one-man operation (if they don't kick me out) since I'm getting the "royal run around/I don't know anything" BS from the local party HQ. You'd think they'd be all over this - especially since the PAID STAFF just gets paid to do things like this, or do I assume too much and it's more like they sit around on their fat asses all day long until 6 days before the next election and then panic to try to find somebody to run against the repukes again like last time?!

[MADem]

27. No, the forms are the 1066 which must be filled out by the applicant

AND the recruiter. There are a load of background checks, ENTNAC, clearance checks, ASVAB testing, physical exam, classification, etc, that go along with it.

However, what you CAN do is go to a recruiter, BE POLITE, be POSITIVE, and offer to "HELP." They've give you a half dozen or so of their calling cards, and you can hand them out to young Republicans that do not agree with your antiwar stance.

[paineinthearse]

24. Young Republicans National Convention in Las Vegas next month

Is anyone aware of any activist groups who will be in (counter) attendance, perhaps Vets for Peace?

[PATRICK]

29. Something in their logic

When questioned the Rove and Bush wannabes(that includes being draft evaders no doubt) use the information of the administration to justify their not going.

Example. The Iraq occupation is going so well they won't be needed(but who ever said they would automatically be going there if they enlisted- if they were not needed?)

Example. Bush claims the above and they believe him. Do they also believe Bush is discouraging people, notably YR's from enlisting? That NO future military actions or 'needs" could use some extra patriotic rifles? I would dearly like to hear Bush put his seal on DISCOURAGING young people from enlisting because it isn't necessary.

Example. they can serve their country better by....what, being politicians who will send other people's children to war but always have avoided it and made it a "low priority" for themselves? Do they also think they are more valuable than the front line peons and that an egalitarian draft is (ugh) a last resort for everyone? Just what is it that makes them valuable? Having the bucks to attend college? Political skills? Well, having a media never question your blatant cowardice and pride means you don't need many skills, many good marks or much experience(see Bush again). So, they want to be deferred because(like the Communist Party families) they belong to a political elite(and a pretty select bunch at that).

Underneath, inescapably lies the entire argument" covered by a cellophane fig leaf revealing no cojones except for getting others killed(that's "tough" by GOP standards). That they aren't going and they can spin anything lazily and stupidly(see Bush as role model) they want.

They should be reconfronted with their own words in a full page ad somewhere, because don't expect a straight answer from Mafia children trying to be made pols.

Their logic is spin to save their skin. But it spins against their own in case anyone bothered to point it out.

[RamboLiberal]

30. Blumenthal reports on the 2005 College Repuke Meeting

Collin Kelley: When I asked him why he was staying on campus rather than fighting the good fight, he rubbed his shoulder and described a nagging football injury from high school. Plus, his parents didn't want him to go. "They're old hippies," Kelley said.

Edward Hauser: "I know that I'm going to be better staying here and working to convince people why we're there ," Hauser explained, pausing in thought. "I'm a fighter, but with words."

Justin Palmer: "The country is like a body," Palmer explained, "and each part of the body has a different function. Certain people do certain things better than others." He said his "function" was planning a "Support Our Troops" day on campus this year in which students honored military recruiters from all four branches of the service.

Kiera Ranke: She and her sorority sisters sent care packages to troops in Iraq along with letters and pictures of themselves. "They wrote back and told us we boosted their morale," she said.

Cory Bray: "The people opposed to the war aren't putting their asses on the line," Bray boomed from beside the bar. Then why isn't he putting his ass on the line? "I'm not putting my ass on the line because I had the opportunity to go to the number-one business school in the country," he declared, his voice rising in defensive anger, "and I wasn't going to pass that up."

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20050711&s=blumenthal