Another One

After reading this column, I’m tempted to speculate on how the IQ of the average GI compares to that of the average NFL player, Pat Tillman—who brought honor to both professions—notwithstanding. Many enlisted military members are required to understand the intricacies of mechanics, electronics, information technology, foreign languages—well, you get the idea.

So, I won’t go there. Not there, in spite of the fact that someone like former NFL player Reggie Rivers insults the intelligence of the average military member:

Yes, our slaves [members of the Armed Forces] signed up of their own free will, but most of them were as misled about their job as the rest of us were about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

We’re slaves, says he. I seem not to recall the instances in which a gun was put to my head or the times in which a whip was brandished at me to coerce me into enlisting and re-enlisting. Perhaps I need to take some memory-enhancing classes. Or maybe I need to brush up on the history of American slavery. Or maybe I need to do both, because I certainly don’t remember reading that American slaves signed contracts stipulating the terms of their servitude.

Surely, as a former member of the Denver Broncos, Mr. Rivers understands the concept of fulfilling the terms of a signed contract. Admittedly, my mind hasn’t been trained in legal matters. However, as I understand it, those who sign a contract are legally bound to its terms. At least the military members who’ve been invited to sign the enlistment contract can actually read it, which is more than can be said for many members of the NFL. Oops! Said I wasn’t going there.

However, it is apparent that Mr. Rivers can compose a column—assuming no one wrote it for him and asked him to sign his name to it. (Darn it! I keep going there. Practice self-control, Ochieng, practice.)

According to Chalmers Johnson, author of "The Sorrows of Empire," almost half of our enlisted forces are between 17 and 24 years of age, and they were lured into military service with promises of education, job training, escape from poverty, medical benefits and the chance to operate some cool, high-tech equipment.[SNIP]

The U.S. Army has an official video game that can be downloaded at www.americasarmy.com It's a recruiting tool aimed to win the hearts and minds of children of all ages. The goal is catch them before they develop critical thinking skills that might lead them to question the wisdom of volunteering for slavery.

So, assuming you’re past the age group in which no one could possibly join the military and have properly developed critical thinking skills, Mr. Rivers, when are you going to develop critical thinking skills? Too many hits to the head, maybe? Or maybe you think that going to “war” simply means to have a successful goal-line stand under the two-minute warning. Or is it possible that the words duty, honor and sacrifice only mean something to you when they involve millions of dollars?

They just want to go home, but they can't. And domestically, we continue to trot out the tired mantra that supporting the troops means supporting the war.

Yes, support us stupid tools, for we know not what we do.

Bite me, Clown. Court Jester. На хуй, блядъ. (Have one of your more educated friends translate that for you, Mr. Rivers. BTW, the military taught me that particular language.)

I’ve had enough of these condescending twits who think that no one could possibly be mentally competent and have an opinion different from theirs. You profane the memory of Pat Tillman and every other person who has given his/her life in defense of this country.

Happy Memorial Day to you, Mr. Rivers. Many of us in the military, present and past, have long memories.

(Now this is an example of intentional offense. In response to the last post, some people said I had class. Heh.)

UPDATE: Sgt Hook is far more eloquently than I.

Comments

[Marty]

Nice, Jules.

Especially the Russian (which you KNOW I would notice!) ;-)

[Laughing Wolf]

Spaseba! ROTFLMAO!! Nice job...

[Jackalope Pursuivant]

Go kick his ass, Baldilocks! I'm sick of this crap. Let's start teaching people some manners.

[Furious Ming]

How does one "volunteer for slavery" anyway?

[Geoffrey]

Some people will just never get it.

Thank you for YOUR service.

[Helen]

Hey, Juliet, thanks for your service.

Thanks for slapping Reggie Rivers upside his empty head.

[RG]

He's probably eaten up with guilt and envy because others are willing to make a sacrifice that he can't imagine making. He belittles them to lessen the contrast between their strengths and his weaknesses. Pitiable really.

[toddk]

Now I'm confused, Warren Sapp said during some tirade last year that playing pro football was akin to slavery. (or something to that effect)

[Rae]

One tiny trackback coming up, Juliette!

[Sean Kinsell]

Do people still quote Chalmers Johnson as a reliable source of factual information? Ye gods.

[ErikZ]

Woah, slaves?

Well, if that's the case, how can I get on some of that? I've got a lot of work that needs doing around here. Is there a form I need to fill out or something?

Just kidding. It's the military! Of course there's a form to fill out.

[Petrie]

(Now this is an example of intentional offense. In response to the last post, some people said I had class. Heh.)

You do, darlin' girl, you do....buckets of it!

[Patrick Chester]

Ah, the patronizing "supporting the troops". His article can be roughly summarized as: "poor wittle myrmidions, they don't know any better." Fah. What a wanker.

Or would this fool be educated enough to refer to US Military personnel as "Jannisaries"? Probably not, and I'm not going to share it with him either.

[Steven Malcolm Anderson]

I thank you and Pat Tillman and every one of our brave men and women for defending my freedom, and yours.

[Jeffersonian]

RG nails it:

He's probably eaten up with guilt and envy because others are willing to make a sacrifice that he can't imagine making. He belittles them to lessen the contrast between their strengths and his weaknesses. Pitiable really.

Or, as someone put it some 400 years ago:

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Mr. Rivers, you play a child's game for a living. How dare you slander your moral and intellectual betters.

[flax]

My Dad: WWII - U.S. Navy - South Pacific.

My Mom: WWII - WAC - European Theater of War.

My Brother: U.S. Navy

God bless them and God bless you.

[Aaron's Rantblog]

Stick a fork in Rivers. He's done. Over done. Shoe leather.

Remind me to do my own BBQ if you ever come over. :-)

[Michele]

Well written and oh so true! Thanks for your service for me and my family!

Rivers has a long way to go in order to learn a tenth of wisdom, strength and courage the member of our military already possess.

Thank you for your years of devoted service to our nation. I am learning so much more about the meaning of character from your experiences.

[MommaBear]

That slavery bit must be why MB's #1 Cub just joined up in the Air National Guard...he'd done 6 with the USNR quite a while back and wanted to do something more for his country.

[Jack]

Never posted here before. Great site, two thoughts come to mind 1.) God helps those who help themselves. 2.) Nothing is tighter than a closed mind.
Thank you for your selfless service to our country and may you have a great Memorial Day.

[Mike O]

Knew all the Russian words but was unfamiliar with the idiom. Still in contact with the lady, now in her eighties, who taught my Russian class in college, but I don't think I'll ask her about it.
1967 DLIWC graduate too but don't remember this one, maybe I'm just too old.

[Carmen]

Amen to you. Thanks for the heads up on the bullshit article. I've never posted to you, but read your blog all the time. Keep up the good work.

[RPL]

Juliette: Thank you for your service. It doesn't get said enough to the men & women in the armed forces.

Regarding Mr. Rivers, it seems as if he played the game without his helmet.

[baldilocks]

Mike O: It means the same thing as "bite me," but is more descriptive, involving anatomy that I don't personally possess. It's the thought that counts. :-) Additionally, I hurl another epithet at Mr. Rivers: female dog.

[Bill M]

Mr rivers is the perfect lackey for the mainstream liberal media. Doing a basic search to find info about Mr rivers, I found the following statement, "I know what I know. I never know if that's 100% of what's knowable or 1% or somewhere in the middle." (http://www.ijn.com/archive/2001arch/101201.htm) Translated, "I can spew crap and not worry one whit about the consequences because I can just say that in truth, I don't know that much about what I'm talkin about, but if someone is willing to teach me, I'm willing to learn, but, hey if what gets printed offends some folks, it's no skin off my ass."

An extra special thanks to the folks at the Denver Post for allowing this psuedo-intellectual a proper forum to espouse his garbage.

[Guy S.]

This is just further proof any idiot who the media feels "has a name" can get in front of a mic an spew forth damn near anything and get a "pass" from said media. Mr. Rivers is a fool and or tool. He owes more than he can ever repay to those who have worn (or are wearing) "the uniform".

Oh, and before I forget. Thanks for your service, wish I was still in to help cary the load.

[Michele]

There are many labels that could easily be given to Rivers. No Sir, I will not call you Mister as it gives you a dignity you do not deserve.
Coward and Abuser come to mind, for he brandishes a weapon against those whom can't defend themselves because they're too busy fighting a different kind of terrorism. They have no time for people the likes of Rivers, at present.

Well, this Rivers has met his match! Not in intelligence or physical appearance, but rather in the dirty way he fights.

Readers, please note:

The way to deal with people who hit others below the proverbial belt is to do likewise. The only thing is, when you give that proverbial hit back, make sure it's a clean good honest punch, where he stays down for the count.

Not only do we need to contact the Denver Post telling them that such venomous and racist language will not be tolerated; we also need to contact Denver Post advertisers. The editor of the DP can be reached at: gmoore@denverpost.com

Next, we move onto KBDI Channel 12 in Denver (Email: askkbdi@kbdi.pbs.org) where Rivers has a weekly show to let them know how offended we are that our tax dollars are going to support a TV personality with his view (providing the link). We also need to email/write letters to the FCC with copies of the Denver Post article and (copy KBDI Mgt.) requesting an investigation of this individual's use of the Public Broadcasting System and our airwaves, to share his racist views.

How many of you want to bet that before the year is out Rivers is feeling the heat and learning a valuable lesson: free speech is only free as long as you treat with respect your fellow citizens (not by insulting African Americans)and by honoring those that gave you the right to speak freely in the first place.

Having had so many hits to the head, he might want to consider running his column by people, oh, lets say at the local coffee shop before he publishes. I know a few African American Marines from NY who would love to have an animated discussion with him outside the Denver Post Office so they can just as publicly refute his point.

[BloodSpite]

I linked to you and Hook on this and sent a very ...nice..and ...polite...E-mail to Mr Rivers.

Thank all of you who pointed this out. May his E-mail Inbox always be full!

[Jeff]

Rivers grew up as an Air Force brat - more info on him here.

[Mike O]

I get it now. The first part is a command with the verb implied. The last word is also slang for whore, and that fits well enough too.

[Laughing Wolf]

One last thought inspired by Michele: forget writing the editors and such, that just bolsters them. Target the advertisers and sponsors, and that will have an impact. Forget logic, reason, and higher motives, go for the pocketbook as it is the equivalent to a good blow to the groin.

[Alice]

What a howler. Ohhhhhh the stupidity. He doesn't get it on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin. Is he like twelve or something? (Nice fisking Baldilocks.) I take that back. I know some pretty smart twelve-year-olds. I'm stunned it was printed. What demographic were they trying to appeal to with this one? I think there's an insult for just about everyone in it.

[Alex in NJ]

Congrats on your Russian. This was a pleasant surprise.

What shameless bastards we have to suffer in the name of free speach and democracy! Ted Rall, Michael Moor, now this scumbag. It just boggles my mind.

[Ceilig]

Otlichna! ;)

Thank you for helping solve the problem of not enough russian profanity in today's blogs. :D