So many people have been writing about John Kerry’s “botched joke” and butchered apology that I won’t elaborate on what he said, or what he later tried to make us think he said. For the record:
You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and do your homework, and make an effort to be smart, uh, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.
Seems like a pretty straight-forward and direct statement, with no mention of President Bush, who he was supposedly really trying to insult. It may be that I’m just not on his mental wavelength, or sophisticated enough to understand his humor.
What I find interesting about his flatulent glibness is that many people enlist in the military so they can get the money for college that the military provides. College is a very expensive proposition and financial hurdles, more than intelligence and diligence, can be the most daunting barrier for a great many. While many aspire to achieve this education, there are relatively few who can take college admission for granted, as if it were a birthright. For the soldiers who take advantage of the tuition benefits, the discipline and appreciation for the experience no doubt serves them well. I believe that employers, too, look favorably upon the aptitude, confidence and intelligence of ex-soldiers, whether they went on to college or not.
John Kerry’s has shot himself in the foot so many times it is amazing that he can still get both of them into his mouth.
