Stephen King's view of the Army
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-s...-king-if-you-cant-read-youll-end-army-or-iraq
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-s...-king-if-you-cant-read-youll-end-army-or-iraq
if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't (get a job later on), then you've got, the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that. It's, it's not as bright.
This online pub has a right wing bias so we have to read this article very critically.
IMO, what's saying is that for some kids, the Army just fits them not that if you can't read you can always join the Army.
I personally try not to make a habit of taking too many Hollywood type's speeches too seriously.
Stephen King fires back after blogger attacks remarks
By The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 07, 2008 - Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — Stephen King has fired back at conservative critics who attacked him over a remark he made a month ago at a writers symposium for high school students.
A blogger jumped on King’s statement at the Library of Congress about the importance of reading in which he suggested poor readers have limited prospects, including service in the Army.
"I don’t want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t, then you’ve got the Army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that. It’s not as bright," King said at the April 4 event in which he was accompanied by his wife Tabitha and son Owen.
Blogger Noel Sheppard likened the comment to former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s remarks that if you don’t get a good education, "you get stuck in Iraq."
"Nice sentiment when the nation is at war, Stephen," Sheppard wrote.
King fired back Monday.
"That a right-wing-blog would impugn my patriotism because I said children should learn to read, and could get better jobs by doing so, is beneath contempt," he said in a statement posted on his Web site.
King said he supports the troops but believes the war in Iraq is a "waste of national resources ... and that includes the youth and blood of the 4,000 American troops who have lost their lives there and for the tens of thousands who have been wounded."
"I live in a National Guard town, and I support our troops, but I don’t support either the war or educational policies that limit the options of young men and women to any one career — military or otherwise," King said.
"That a right-wing-blog would impugn my patriotism because I said children should learn to read, and could get better jobs by doing so, is beneath contempt," he said in a statement posted on his Web site.
King said he supports the troops but believes the war in Iraq is a "waste of national resources ... and that includes the youth and blood of the 4,000 American troops who have lost their lives there and for the tens of thousands who have been wounded."
Stephen King has fired back at conservative critics who attacked him over a remark he made a month ago at a writers symposium for high school students.
Again, just my feeling on the situation, but we are dangerously close to making Stephen King a rallying point for two opposing sides of the political spectrum. His rebuttal today is proof. One side will (rightfully) display their offense at his thoughtless words (and they are just that, thoughtless!), the other will rally to his defense saying he was just trying to bring light to a tragic situation (Allow me to paraphrase what I think their arguement will boil down to: "America's poor and uneducated youth dying for no reason in a pointless war").
I prefer to take the high road. I still stand by my suggestion: extend a hand in friendship and let him meet the troops he offended with his condescending words. Only by fighting the ignorance he so less-than-eloquently displayed can we hope to get him to realize the severity of his thoughless words. He doesn't have to agree with me on everything (and I fight and sacrifice so that he has that right!), I just think its a better way than burning his books on Fox News.