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2004-04-30 Home Front: Culture Wars

denbeste takes the time too straighten us out

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Posted by JerseyMike 2004-04-30 12:00:00 AM|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I think that Charles Rangel would be surprised at the attitude of many affluent people. My older brother and I graduated from Phillips Academy (Andover) in the early eighties. In his class my older brother and one other classmate attended service academies after graduation. They were the first two students to attend service academies from that school in a number of years - possibly since Frisbees and tie-dyed became popular on campus - In my class, one year later about five of us attended service academy's.

I don't know whether the trend continued at Andover, but I attended an extra year of High School to better prepare for USNA at the midwestern school, Western Reserve Academy (WRA) where my father has taught at since the late sixties. (He continues to teach there even though he is now in his late sixties.) His school serves as a good gauge of the attitudes of the Midwestern affluent because WRA is one of the few boarding schools in the Mid West.

The year that I re-graduated from high school, I was the only student from WRA to matriculate to a service academy. Since my class service academies have become more and more popular. The last several years WRA has probably averaged close to ten students in each class that have chosen to attend service academies. The graduating class size is under 100 students.
At least in my small sampling size of rich kids, ten percent are patriotic enough to attend service academies rather choosing to become leftist disciples at conventional universities.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-04-30 4:06:43 AM|| 2004-04-30 4:06:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Hell of a good read. BTW I think black people should be more careful of the people they show support to. There, I said it and not being black that makes me a hopeless racist. But the truth is I don't go down that road anymore.

Posted by Lucky 2004-04-30 12:17:44 PM|| 2004-04-30 12:17:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 What Rangel was ranting about was true when I entered the USAF in August, 1972. In the waning years of Vietnam and the last chorus of the swan song for 'McNamara's 100,000'. The era of Category C Draftees. Mostly black and Hispanic. Most from inner cities.

Thankfully, the All Volunteer Force came around and the quality, integrity and esprit of people began to soar.

It's been soaring ever since. For the simple reason that there people WANT to be a part of something larger and more important than they are!

I can't count the number of Enlisted people who have Graduated College. Either through Extension (Correspondence) Courses. Attended Embry Riddle or Johns Hopkins and have gone, either smiling. Or kicking and screaming to OCS!

Being better Officers (Mustangs) and Leaders overall. For having been in the Enlisted Ranks and having a much better rapport with guys and gals who do the Heavy Lifting.

Let there be a Draft. And you'll see a sudden uptick in 'accidents' amongst the 'Slackasses' and 'Non-Hackers' that will make your head swim.

For the simple reason that 'Volunteer Soldiers' of today don't want Non-Volunteers around!

Posted by Jack Deth 2004-04-30 3:06:33 PM|| 2004-04-30 3:06:33 PM|| Front Page Top

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