My Letter to Senator Kerry in Light of Today's Misconstrued Comments

I was so mortified by the reaction today to Senator John Kerry's botched Bush joke that I had to go to his site and post to his blog. The content of that post is blow.

God, will this country ever wake up? It's like a giant high school (OOH! John Kerry said soldiers are stupid!), where the leader of the clique (George W. Bush) is the biggest hipocrite of all. A liar who not only was a coward (who disappeared to avoid the National Guard), but who is, in fact, stupid...

Sadder still, is that from the next room, I just heard Wolf Blitzer on CNN comparing Bush and Kerry's SAT scores. Why is that what he's talking about? This is our country? It's not even high school. It's 7th grade.

I'm so angry I could scream... but really, I want to cry.


Senator Kerry,

I hope that you will take to EVERY single outlet you can with the context of your comments (including Fox News!). I also hope that members of the Democratic Party have the courage to stand with you and fight back at the twisting of these comments into campaign fodder. Isn't it sad that this is what Republicans want to talk about.... and even sadder that many Democrats stand for it?

I understand that this was a botched joke. But even with the mistake, let's look at the facts: the educated middle classes and those who rank above them on the economic scale are NOT those who are losing their lives in this war that was based on a lie. The working class and poor are losing people (and I speak as someone with working class roots whose father is a Vietnam Veteran)... This is not a commentary on intelligence, but rather on financial means.

So, in that regard, even the botched statement is true in a way: if you can (afford to) study, you won't wind up in Iraq... If you can (afford to study/go to college), you're less likely to be recruited in the first place. Does it mean no educated people serve? Of course not! But look at the averages... and consider who is suffering. By and large, it's not the Ivy Leaguers.

Of course I understand that this is not what you said... but wouldn't it be nice if people actually considered truths instead of twisting reality.

Please stand your ground and be heard no matter what. That is the sort of leader America needs.

Stephanie in California