Here's a stupid question:

"President Bush, if your own two daughters won't enlist, how can you expect anyone else's children to join the military?"

This is like the idiocy of Michael Moore demanding the same thing of Bill O'Reilly. It presupposes that "children" join the military, and fantasizes that this happens because parents "send" them. Surely this formulation helps play into the little passion play we're seeing down in Crawford right now, but it has no correspondence to reality. In this country, adults join the military, and they do so voluntarily. Many (indeed, most) of them have parents, but this is presumably a choice made by those adults, and not the parents, so this whole notion of "sending our children to war" is nonsensical.

Does he really expect the president to order Jenna and Barbara to enlist? If not, what's his point? This isn't about "people's children" joining the military--it's about people joining the military who happen (on occasion) to have parents. But that reality apparently doesn't jerk the heartstrings as much.

Sheehan is trying to get the prez pissed off enough to want to go out and give her a piece of his mind, or this morning was appealing to Dubya's godly side asking him to join her in a prayer. Either way, she's trying very dilligently and doggedly to get close to him.

Bad, bad juju. The prez needs to stay physically far from this nutcase.

Isn't there some sort of requirement about providing Secret Service protection for the immediate family of the President or something?

That could get sort of tricky.

On the other hand, there is the tradition of military service by British Royals.

All in all, if it's the best argument one can come up with against the war, then there's really not enough worth arguing with to make it worth the trouble.

Don't forget that most US citizens won't ever join the military and that females are less likely to join the military than males. So I haven't figured what's out of place here. OTOH, it's appealing to me for a leader's children to face same risks that a significant number of US citizens are.

Think about this for a minute....

The twins recently became adults.

If you had just reached the point in your life that you no longer had to follow your parents orders would you willingly place yourself back under their control?

The pres IS the C-in-C ya know.

(And yes, I'm trying to make a funny. Don't nobody get jiggy.)

President Bush, if your own two daughters won't enlist, how can you expect anyone else's children to join the military?

Easy, if they choose to do so. Next question from someone not quite as stupid as the last questioner...

If only he could do that...

Of course if they did join up they would never be let near combat. I have a co-worker who was a crewman on Marine-1 during the Johnson and Nixon administrations. He wanted to volunteer for vietnam but was told no such luck untill so many years after you have left the presidential squadron. No sense in allowing the enemy access to SOP at the white house.

The question is not whether our leaders are willing to send their children to fight (because the children are legally capable of making their own decisions, such as joining an all-voluntary military,) but whether the leaders themselves have set the example through their military service.

In this case, the Republican party has its share of Vietnam-era heroes, like John McCain and Randy Cunningham, who voted to go to war in spite of all they had been through in combat, because they believed that the sacrifice was worth the rewards. Even on the Democrats' side, their "hero," John Kerry, voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq. (Of course, Kerry now regrets the decision and claims that "the retarded smirking monkey tricked me.")

"(Of course, Kerry now regrets the decision and claims that "the retarded smirking monkey tricked me.")"

Thanks IS, that was a good laugh!

Ahh, you should have heard the 'converstation' at my home when I proudly announced to my parents that I had signed a contract with the Army.

Neither parent was happy, but I was 18 and legally responsible for my own actions. Given a choice, Mom would have hidden me in the cellar until the 'govt' gave up looking for me. Dad just sighed and went out to finish the work on the car I (yes, I had a job) bought for college.

The year? 1976. Not long after, 2 to 4 years later, they were proud I had lived up to my commitments.

While as an old retired fart, these kids are kids - but they are men and women in the truest meaning of the words. I work with many prior to their leaving for harms way. I have never, never seen such great people. These 'kids' are our current finest generation - just wish I could go with 'em. If, that is, I could measure up to their standards.

Sorry, rambling. The volunteer force is the abosulte best thing that has happened to my Army. These volunteers don't need anyone taking care of them - they will do fine.

I hope this mother can come to grips with her, umm, issues. Sooner rather than later.

Regards.

Ummm... isn't one of the Bush daughters doing some sort of volunteer service?? (I seem to recall reading that, but I could be mistaken...) If so, that makes the original comment either terribly ignorant or terribly disingenuous.

- Eric.

Ms Sheehan has abused the natural feelings she evoked as mother of a son killed in action. There's no longer any need to feel anything but disgust for this harpy.

If I support the war but won't fight it because the Navy turned me down in 1993, what kind of hawk am I?

have a co-worker who was a crewman on Marine-1 during the Johnson and Nixon administrations.
I hope this mother can come to grips with her, umm, issues. Sooner rather than later.
You write such a nice article.

If I support the war but won't fight it because the Navy turned me down in 1993, what kind of hawk am I?

Why, a bump-on-the-rump-hawk who got out of serving by the overemphasis of minor medical problems, of course. (Koff)

"If I support the war but won't fight it because the Navy turned me down in 1993, what kind of hawk am I?"

"Why, a bump-on-the-rump-hawk who got out of serving by the overemphasis of minor medical problems, of course. (Koff)"

Perhaps you failed to notice the year - 1993. As a small history lesson, the draft ended in the '70s. There was no longer a need to fake injury / illness to avoid military service.

He voluntarily took an entrance exam at a MEP Station. I doubt Obi Wan has even done that.