Oh John Kerry, You Glorious Human Wasteland

Where do you come up with these things.

"I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting stuck in Iraq."

Words of wisdom from John Kerry , the distinguished senator from Massachusetts and legendary political wonderworker, at a campaign rally for Phil Angelides, the democratic opponent of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the California governor's race.

The comment sparked outrage and disbelief among many Americans, particularly as it appears to belittle and insult our nation's troops now serving in Iraq. The statement seems to say that those who serve in Iraq do so as a result of lower intelligence or academic failure.

There's no question that Kerry should have apologized immediately for his remarks.

It is also clear, however, that Kerry misspoke, and would never intentionally insult the troops in such a blatant and public way. Whether you love his politics or hate them, Kerry is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War and has been an ardent supporter of our nation's military men and women for over thirty years as a U.S. Senator. Being a military man himself, it is absurd that he would insult other military men and women by calling them unintelligent for serving.

Furthermore, Kerry would never purposely jeopardize his scheduled presidential run in 2008 by making such a ridiculous statement about our troops. His intended statement was as follows:
"I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."

One little word makes the difference here: us. You end up getting "us" stuck in Iraq, referencing, of course, President Bush and the war in Iraq, and calling Bush intellectually lazy by implication.

This does not change the fact that Kerry should have apologized immediately. Whether intentional or not, he made a remark that was extremely hurtful to our nation's bravest men and women, who fight for us night and day in a foreign land.

I was personally offended by the remark, and I felt terribly that any member of our armed forces might hear it and think that a U.S. Senator was calling them unintelligent for their brave service. Kerry cannot apologize enough for his hurtful slip of the tongue.

That said, given Kerry's presidential ambitions, coupled with his own military service in Vietnam and his many years of standing up for our nation's military men and women, it seems clear that the remark was improperly delivered and was never intended to insult our troops.

In the interest of honesty, I think that we all must condemn the remark, but accept that it was unintended and forget about it. Don't pull John Kerry off the stage with that hook yet, the show is just beginning my friends!

He'll be here all week!

A Different Patriotism

There are indeed two kinds of patriotism.

The healthy kind of patriotism arises within us because the actions and principles of our country align with our personal sense of virtue, goodness and justice. This is a healthy patriotism because our strong sense of right and wrong is incorporated into and reinforced by our government. The government in turn legislates and behaves in a just and moral way, and we take pride in the goodness and strength of our country.

The second kind of patriotism is unhealthy, and depending upon the power of the nation, can be immensely destructive. It is a patriotism which replaces a basic sense of right and wrong with loyalty to one's political party. A people may flee from the basic commands of their conscience for the refuge of a flock mentality, "sticking together" for safety rather than standing for what is right.

When the basic terms of right and wrong, justice and injustice are replaced in public discourse by "democrat and republican," we can be sure that the unhealthy kind of patriotism is near at hand.

True patriotism cares not for political parties but for what is right, in the same way that a true patriot clings not to his friends but inseparably to what is just and true.