Bush lauds those joining military

LATROBE, Pa. -- President Bush, delivering the commencement address yesterday at a Catholic school here, praised a handful of graduating students who joined the military, drawing hearty applause despite a divisive debate being waged in Congress and across the country about the Iraq war.

At St. Vincent's College, -- a Benedictine school and seminary in the home district of fierce war critic Rep. John P. Murtha -- the president called on the 300 graduates to begin a life of community service, but gave special emphasis to those who had joined the military.

"In the graduating class today are five students who have volunteered to wear our nation's uniform. You knew the risks of serving in a time of war, and you have volunteered to accept those risks," Mr. Bush said. "You have chosen a noble calling. You will take your place as officers in the finest military the world has ever known," Mr. Bush said.

The commencement address came after a monthlong debate at the school about the president's appearance. More than 400 students and alumni signed an online petition asking that Mr. Bush not come, and a former president of the school said Mr. Bush has "so often violated Christian, Catholic and Benedictine teaching and tradition that I firmly oppose this distinction."

More than 30 current and former faculty members wrote an open letter criticizing Mr. Bush on the war, and a group of graduating seniors gathered two weeks before commencement to debate the merits of having the president as the guest of honor.

Outstanding. It’s especially gratifying that this was in Murtha’s district — and that, despite the significant opposition at St. Vincent to Bush’s appearance, there was no opposition voiced at the actual event. Very classy — or else an outstanding job of control and persuasion by the college’s authorities. Well done.

As for the former president of the college who was quoted as saying that Bush has “violated Benedictine teaching,” etc. — he should disassociate himself from the college and find a job shining shoes at Harvard — or the Jimmy Carter Center. What an a$$wipe.

Just what our hero Freedom-Protecting Soldiers are fighting to prevent a repeat of in Iraq:

Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education (SLAVE LABOR) Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts

..”JOURNEY from the FALL”.. MoviePremieres = Fall of Saigon CLARITY..

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806248/posts

NEVER ever AGAIN.

FIVE HEROES. FOUR HUNDRED INGRATES.

SCHOOL DESKS

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom.

The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no desks.

They obviously looked around and said, “Ms. Cothren, where’s our desk?” And she said, “You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn them.”

They thought, “Well, maybe it’s our grades.”

“No,” she said.

“Maybe it’s our behavior.”

And she told them, “No, it’s not even your behavior.”

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing, third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren’s class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, “Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily.” She said, “Now I’m going to tell you.”

Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.

Martha said, “You don’t have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it’s up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don’t ever forget it.”

GATHERING OF EAGLES
Operation Recruiter Appreciation Day
http://gatheringofeagles.org/?p=264

I gotta say I’m gettin tired of this. This is not some politically inspired thing I’m about to say but it’s just that if our President feels that serving in the Armed Forces is such a noble calling, then why isn’t he encouraging his progeny to do the same? I mean look at what upper echelon of British society gave. Two princes that are commissioned officers. Another thing is, the few individuals that have signed up, will not find a good job after the Army due to them being behind their civilian peers in terms of experience. Think about it, there aren’t many civilian job recruiters or any in upper management (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lockheed, IBM, and etc)that understand what leadership attained in the Army is and how it transfers to the civilian world because they have not served themselves. Although their service might be appreciated by someone, it won’t really help them get a good job, further education might.

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