<p>The OP made an important point – Getting upset over college admissions is making too big a deal out of something compared to the really big things going on the world.</p>
<p>However, I can’t understand this term – “anti-war zealot” – since it implies that being anti-war is somehow illegitimate and unusual. Considering that the majority of Americans <a href=“http://pollingreport.com/iraq.htm[/url]”>http://pollingreport.com/iraq.htm</a> think the war was a mistake, want to bring the troops home, support a timetable for withdrawal, and think that the war hurts (rather than helps) the war on terror, there must be an awful, awful lot of zealots out there.</p>
<p>It is my hope that we can salute the OP and learn the lesson he came to teach – without turning on Americans who love their country but don’t think the war is the right course for the United States.</p>
<p>Dearest goodness. I thank the Lord for people like you. Thanks for enlightening me, as well as others. </p>
<p>It seems that in this day in age, as we become so absorbed in our self-interests, we consider some trivial things to be absolutely devastating. </p>
<p>I know I may sound hypocritical, having the ambitions that I do, but I think that now we really need to sit back and come to the realization that at least we have the credentials to actually GO to college. Maybe it’ll be an institution of a formidable name. Maybe not. At least we go to college. What you said about those kids being willing to do anything just to go to a normal high school really struck me. It makes me think again, that things aren’t so bad as we make it out to be, that always, others will have things much worse than we do. </p>
<p>You really taught me something. You really, really did. Thank you.</p>
<p>Laserdad needs to read the OP and get a clue!</p>
<p>Thanks soldier, and good luck to you. Great story, and great post.</p>
<p>Although I never went thru war or anything near it, I too remember nearly crying with delight my first day of college at a SUNY campus, after 3 years of menial jobs that included bar musician, truck loader, waitress, sales clerk, telephone operator and receptionist. I had been cussed at, had boxes thrown at me, sexually harassed and insulted. I sat in the middle of a campus on a sunny fall afternoon, realizing all I had to do for the rest of the day was study. I felt very grateful.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I meant to say: anti-military. No one mentioned that the war was wrong, right, etc. There was one post that insulted this fellow servicemember blatantly, and another who attacked his service and character. That struck a chord with me and other CCer’s since there was absolutely no justification to treat a new CC member (and a servicemember) in such a manner. </p>
<p>I don’t want to stray off topic and argue about the legitimacy of the war since we have sparred numerous times on that topic. For once, can we leave our opinions of that behind and focus on the OP’s story and make him feel welcome on CC? </p>
<p>I have thanked the OP numerous times for his story and I wish him well. It was a good post and one of the nicest, inspiring, and friendliest posts I have seen in a long time.</p>
<p>I still won’t generalize an entire group of people (soldiers) and say I think something about all of them.</p>
<p>Just like i won’t say that all Harvard kids are wonderful scholars, I won’t say that all of America’s soldiers are wonderful people. </p>
<p>I judge each person based on his/her actions and beliefs, and this person just wants to soak in the glory he feels he deserves. </p>
<p>I don’t understand why everyone automatically supports the troops. I don’t automatically support the troops any more than i automatically support Republicans or Democrats, Unions or Managment, Black People or White People.</p>
<p>Such designations only serve to catagorize people unfairly.</p>
<p>The more you tell people stop through posts, the more this thread will lose its original point.(Kind of like when you say shhhhh to everyone in a class to get them to be quiet, you’re only making more noise). I don’t want to lose a new CC member since I think he has a lot to offer, so just let sleeping dogs lie. </p>
<p>Don’t mention the arguments at all and move on. Geez, you guys are college bound students and you don’t know when to stop so I have to be your mother?</p>
<p>From now on every post below mine will have a reaction to the OP’s story, got it? Good.</p>
<p>momfromme, I don’t support the war either. That doesn’t change the fact that defaming the honor of those fighting in it, especially one taking the time to write a thoughtful post such as the OP did, is the right thing to do.
Now, for people like gstein who think if you sign up “voluntarily” it is your fault, and you have nothing to complain about, I have a news story for you. The link is to a Newsweek special showing real copies of the final letters from those killed in Iraq…their goodbyes to their families. Just click on one of the soldiers’ names and read. A picture of the soldier, as well as a brief bio, is posted under the letter. The most touching is “Lance Cpl Anthony Butterfield” who was only 19.</p>
<p>Smurfgirl, I want to commend you for showing wisdom beyond your years through this sometime very heated post. A lot of misdirected hostility towards you. yet you held your ground, did not waiver and I applaud you. You’re the kind of woman I see as a future leader. In whatever area you are pursuing, I wish you the very best.
p.s. I have a 20 year old son…if you’re interested lol :-)</p>
<p>I know smurfgirl! I took so long finding that link, that by the time I posted it, 3 other posts popped up including your “every other post below me” Haha sorry about that. And Susan R…o.o you’re trying to hook your son up on cc? Hahahahaha.</p>
<p>Thank you OP not only is your story valid, meaningful, thought provoking, and helpful to getting your priorities straight for those pursuing college, it is helpful for EVERYONE to read this story and think about what we all consider important on a day to day basis. Thanks for sharing, you are a terrrific writer, wish you well.</p>
<p>I remember meeting a young Viet Nam vet way back in the day (1973) at UCSD. He was far more mature and had 100 times more depth than anyone else I knew there.</p>
<p>To the OP, let your light shine. May you continue to bring much inspiration to those around you.</p>
<p>I think the true moral of that story was that America shouldn’t mindlessly go to war. All of the turmoil described in the original post was an after-effect of the war that we, and when I way we I mean the Bush admin., caused by deciding to go to war with Iraq. Most of that stuff (IED explosions, lack of security in the streets, lack of educational infrastructure or infrastructure in general) was because of the war. Security and infrastructure were there before the bombs started dropping.</p>
<p>It sort of bothers me that so many people believe that supporting the troops means supporting the war and saying that what they are doing in Iraq is constructive. It’s destructive, but they are not to blame for it. Troops do not cause freedom, they protect it when it is necessary, or at least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The way they are being used now erodes our freedom.</p>
<p>As for people getting bent out of shape because they didn’t get into the college they hoped to get into, I think that is pretty stupid. However, America runs on capitalism and it’s a good thing to have people strongly desiring to go to top colleges; if we didn’t, those colleges wouldn’t be so special. What America needs is more educated citizens so that we don’t elect people who will so blatantly misuse the troops and waste resources on bloody endeavors that cause nothing but sorrow. </p>
<p>Then again, maybe intelligence and logic are inherently anti-American.</p>
<p>^Nice one, bobbo07. It’s nice to see that, once again, people have espoused irrelevant and useless opinions that don’t pertain to the OP’s topic. We’re supposed to be the generation with leaders? This thread, with its polarized viewpoints and invective rhetoric, doesn’t augur well for America’s future. </p>
<p>Thinking that everyone would appreciate the perspective the OP brings was a boondoggle, I guess. </p>
<p>More anti-war sentiment, more pro-war sentiment…Could we please just focus on the OP’s message?</p>
<p>The OP isn’t discussing whether the war is legit or not or how intelligent our President is if you read his 1st and 2nd post. </p>
<p>If you want to discuss the war and bash Bush and NOT about keeping things in perspective, I highly suggest that you create <em>another</em> anti-war thread or bring back any of the million threads that were created.</p>
<p>WAAAAAAHHH people are posting stuff on a message board and I don’t like it.</p>
<p>The OP’s point was that not getting into your dream school(for most cc’ers HYP) Obviously it doesn’t matter because you can go to them and still be messed up.</p>
<p>What is the true point of this thread beyond the op. Do you want me to say its the best post i’ve ever read in my life and I want to blow the op because of its greatness?</p>
<p>No, it was a solid post, and I am greatful that I live in America so I can be free and get an awesome education. I am greatful for the efforts of the soldiers, both in useful and useless wars, to preserve that freedom. </p>
<p>I’m soory I’m not “inspirational,” but I was trying to summarize the moral of the op’s story, which was not to stress about which college to go to, while infusing my " polarized viewpoints and invective rhetoric." to add humor for me and other anti-Bush people (playing the odds, there are a lot of us)</p>