HERE THEY GO - Kirk: Race, class issues help shape views on war

Houston Chronicle ^ | September 14, 2002 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

SAN ANTONIO -- Democratic Senate candidate Ron Kirk suggested Friday that Republican opponent John Cornyn's comfort in sending U.S troops to Iraq may come down to racial and class differences between him and those who would be actually taking enemy fire.

"Look who would be doing the fighting," he said following a joint rally with Tony Sanchez, the Democratic candidate for governor. "They're disproportionately ethnic, they're disproportionately minority."

Kirk said that if the children of Cornyn's wealthy friends and acquaintances were destined to be on the front lines, "he would be just as deliberative as the rest of us."

Kirk, former mayor of Dallas, is black, while Cornyn, the state's attorney general, is white.

The issue is not that minority soldiers are not prepared to do their duty, Kirk said.

"The point is, I would be curious to see if we would go to war without any thought of loss if the first half-million kids to go came from families who made $1 million," he said.

Ted Delisi, a Cornyn consultant in Austin, would not address Kirk's comments, saying only that the nation should be united behind the military.

On Thursday, Cornyn proclaimed his "strong support" for the president's push toward action against Iraq, and said the United States has to be prepared to move forward even if the United Nations doesn't approve.

At the same time, he accused Kirk of siding with Senate Democrats who are "foot-dragging" on the issue because they aren't yet convinced that a pre-emptive strike against Saddam is justified, and he repeated an oft-made charge that Kirk is soft on defense.

Kirk said Friday that he thought Bush made a compelling case against Iraq in his Thursday speech at the United Nations -- that the Security Council has to do something to enforce the body's resolutions, particularly regarding weapons inspections.

But he said that before the United States gets involved in a war in Iraq, it needs to line up the same strong congressional and international support that it has secured for military action in Afghanistan.

Kirk also bristled at criticism from the Cornyn campaign for not being firmly in support of the president on the issue of war with Iraq.

"Him questioning my patriotism, I'm insulted by that," he said.

[Young Werther]

In the early 80s I played racquetball with Ron at the downtown Dallas YMCA. He was on the City Attorney staff. He was a pleasant individual and didn't appear to be that politicized. I guess when you reach for that rarefied echelon it goes to your brain.

He's become just another Demonrat doofus!

[laconic]

You are spreading misinformation that you must have gotten from watching Hollywood films about Vietnam. Blacks were drafted, and killed in FEWER numbers in Vietnam than their percentage of the draft age population (12.5 versus 13.1 percent). Wake up and stop spreading lies; of course, what can one expect when "history" is made-up in films by "artists" who think sleeping with five Korean male midgets is perfectly normal.

[gumboyaya]

Does anyone actually think Sanchez and Kirk can win - I don't think so. Kirk will not carry Houston or Dallas and even demo east Tx, maybe border but thats about it.

[jwalsh07]

Kirk is wrong and it's sad to see him revert to this. Every kid that is in or signing up right now, be it combat arms or not, deserves this nations thanks. I don't see black, white or hispanic when I see these kids in uniform. I see Americans who believe in the same things that I do. Duty, honor and country. God bless them all.

[Lunatic Fringe]

"Look who would be doing the fighting," he said following a joint rally with Tony Sanchez, the Democratic candidate for governor. "They're disproportionately ethnic, they're disproportionately minority."

Perhaps, Ron... but they are 100% volunteers. Unlike you, who never served a day in your life.

Vietnam ended 27 years ago, pal....

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Here is an interesting book which exposes a great many myths about the Armed Forces of the Vietnam war--why the myths are maintained and who benefits from exploiting the myths.

Of course the most well-known myth is the racial/ethnic make-up of the troops. In reality, white men were overrepresented among the troops fighting in Vietnam by some small percentage. Also, the men sent to fight in Vietnam were the most well-educated in American history.

It also exposes the lie behind the stereotype of the dysfunctional Vietnam Vet--and why this stereotype is so dear to the government bureaucracy.

The name of the book is: "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History" by: B.G. Burkett.

[laconic]

I've read Burkett's book; its very convincing. Most of the lies have been fed by the weirdos in Hollywood (and their allies in various arts and academic circles) who have feted Jane Fonda, who somehow escaped a traitor's rope (or at least some jail time) for life as the billionairess Mrs. Ted Turner (a friend of mine from Eastern Europe challenged her during her speech at Columbia University in the 1970s when she said everyone would be proud to live under communism -- he had lived under communism and told her it was BS, and of course the future billionaress screamed at him that he didn't know what he was talking about). Can you imagine Hollywood today feting Jonny Taliban?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Why is it that lawyers - who are essentially members of the judiciary (by definition once they pass the Bar exam) - aren't exempted from the legislative branch of the government? This has lead to the legislative branch becoming overtaken by the judicial branch. Checks and balances, anyone?

Barring lawyers from congress would not help a bit, sad to say. You need lawyers who know how to jump through judicial hoops in order keep bills from being shot down by the Supreme Court.

Not all lawyers are bad, either. Look at Bob Barr and Dan Burton. Both are former prosecutors.

Conclusion: It takes all kinds. And not all lawyers are bad.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

One of my old friends was a marine who happened to be black. We lost contact with each other after a period of time. He is very proud of his service in Desert Storm. He is very proud to be a marine. If he heard this trash, I would not want to be around him.

[wardaddy]

Combat oriented troopers in today's volunteer military forces are disproportionately non-hispanic white boys.

This fellow is blowing smoke out his arse.

Liberals: skidmarks on the underwear of America.

[admiralsn]

I'll see your race card and raise you an a$$ whoopin'!

[AdvisorB]

I think Kirk peaked the day he got the rat nomination.
And he's losing altitude quickly with stupid remarks
like those in the article. This crap will not pass
muster in Texas, maybe in the People's Republic of
Taxachussetts, but not Texas.

[mafree]

Sounds like Kirk is trying to say that Cornyn doesn't care about minority or poor soldiers. Low blow Ron.

[admiralsn]

If minorities weren't on the front lines (and I am not agreeing they are in the numbers that this moron is saying they are) then Kirk would be bitchin' about that. And he'd have Jesse at his side.

[LenS]

You are spreading misinformation that you must have gotten from watching Hollywood films about Vietnam.

Huh? I said "he's going off the common mythology of Vietnam -- that poor dumb farm and ghetto kids did all the dying." I'm disagreeing with Mr. Kirk. So how am I spreading misinformation?