...or my big, round butt eyes!

*smooch*

Ahhh, I love big, round...errr...eyes.

Tribephylanthropy!
A man is only as old as the woman he feels.--- G. Marx

Hee!

I like big butts eyes and I can not lie!
You other brothers can't deny...

You said what I wanted to say, Augie. I didn't mainly because I figured I would be smacked down by someone saying that my contacts with veterans in my role as coordinator of VA educational benefits here are not objective or scientifically valid.

But by trying to pit my evidence (admittedly, they can be disputed) against PRE's evidence of media bias (just as disputed, but not admittedly), I ended up with the same result.

So I'll just go with what I know from people I am in contact with every single day. I deal with active duty veterans from all the services; reserves from the Marines, Army, and Air Force; and PA National Guard. I am the staff person here on campus with whom they probably have the most contact, mainly because I am their designated contact/liason. They know how much I respect them and that feeling goes both ways. And I never discuss my views with them. You could talk to any single of them and ask them my political orientation and I can guarantee that not one of them could tell you how I feel about the war or show you any instance in which I revealed my political leanings to them, other than how I feel about their concerns about veterans programs and how they adminstered by the VA.

The Reserves and National Guard are pretty outspoken in their criticisms of this war and this administration. No one even has to prompt them. They will happily tell you that this war is the most dispiriting thing they have ever been through. Some of these guys are long-time reservists who have seen a lot and many of whom were once active duty during Gulf War I and on duty in the Balkans. Some of them have been in Iraw two and three tours, interrupting their family lives, devastating their family finances, and missing their children's milestones and births. So we're not talking about people who have never seen action before or who haven't seen how screwed up things can get in the heat of battle.

Our veterans of active duty are less outspoken. They tend to still often have that military mindset of being a part of a company or platoon. Our highest ranked vet on campus (also the oldest of the bunch) seems to be their spokesperson. He's the one that gives them advice on other vet's benefits and who comes to me to voice any common concerns. In his very quietly authoritative way, he has made known (in the most discreet way possible) how much of a FUBAR this mission is in his eyes.

I have a soft spot for all these guys (and they are mostly guys). They work hard. They are grateful for the benefits they receive for education. They are respectful. They are dedicated students. They are good role models on campus. I try to help them in every possible way because of my admiration for them. So, the implication that is always made that, as a Democrat who wants a change in the Iraq policy, I somehow don't support the troops and might even be betraying them is so much garbage. I spend more time with the troops and do more to help them out than most people I know. I don't want glory for it, but I refuse to accept the labels people like to slap on me. I daresay the troops would say the same.

Democrats make better lovers. Whoever heard of a good piece of elephant?

The military code of conduct discourages members of the military from going public with their political opinions. Not that they do not have legitimate political venues, they do, but they have to walk the tightrope should they employ their options.

Well, except for the citizen soldiers of the reserves and the Guard (who see themselves as citizens first and soldiers second. Just ask them, they'll tell you.), the vets of active duty, who are the least likely to spout their views on the war unprompted are no longer constrained by the Military Code of Conduct. Mainly because they have been discharged. So, no tightrope for them. Maybe just habit.

Democrats make better lovers. Whoever heard of a good piece of elephant?

One of the guys I work with is active National Guard (and I do know some others who are active in the military). He has been deployed twice in the past several years and is so disgusted with how things have been going that he has no intention of re-upping when his term is up. It's a shame, he had intended to remain in the Guard as long as he could, he has no problem serving his country; but he's so thorougly disgusted with how things are going and no longer wants to be abused for his love of his country.

That's pretty much the same attitude the guys in the Guard and Reserves have here.

They're disgusted.

Democrats make better lovers. Whoever heard of a good piece of elephant?

A disable vet, in a wheel chair, came out for the dems in a TV ad in Ohio. He called Debra Pryce (pub) some names too.

It a Tribe original!!!