<p>Those who have ever been to the House gallery know that the rules there are very strict - no talking, note taking, etc. - anything that will be in any way disruptive - including t-shirts. The SOU is a bigtime event here in DC, one that you get “dressed up for” not to wear a t-shirt. Very bad form on Beverly Young’s part. 2nd wife of former House (not Senate) Appropriation’s Chairman Bill Young (R-FL), she has been active supporting and visiting the troops. Still, bad form on her part and the Congressman for yelling at the Sgt. at Arms, who had to apologize to Mrs. Young, and then, for consistancy, to Cindy Sheehan. I just hope Congress revisits its house rules so that eveyrone doesn’t wear T-shirts NEXT year. </p>
<p>BTW - Young was personally responsible for mucho more dollars going to all the academies for capital improvements.</p>
<p>Weski, it makes sense that nothing should be disruptive inside at State of the Union Address. Any kind of disruptive force could possibly make it more difficult for security. I think that security is critical considering most of our leaders are in the room during the State of the Union address.</p>
<p>I also agree that one should be dressed appropriately for such an important event for our country.</p>
<p>USMMA owes Rep. Young big - he arranged for about $50 million over several years to be spent on building improvements - including AC in refurbished dorms! I may have the exact numbers wrong - but it’s something like that and I understand similar acts for other academies.</p>
<p>Weski…maybe some of that money could go to USMMA’s gym for air conditioning…I thought I was going to have heat stroke parents’ weekend watching the ‘beat retreat’. Don’t know how the mids held up in their dress uniforms, especially those in the band! What do you think?</p>
<p>I’m with you on that one! They need to issue fans and water bottles. Son was about to die in the wool choker with all the buttons! I was as well & I brought water & seat cushion! I think the gym is about the same vintage as the school! Maybe after they figure out how to get the asbestos off the chapel, rebuild all the dorms, build a band room, then they can get to the gym!</p>
<p>I don’t know if HRC IQ is higher than GWB’s, but I do know many under-estimate his common sense. During the 2000 election, much of the main-stream media made light of his gentlemen’s Cs at Yale but little was made of Al Gore failing out of seminary school. Again in the 2004 election, John Kerry was portrayed as an intellectual. After the election, the release of his service records (we will never know if it was a full release) showed his Yale grades were no better (and maybe worse) than those of GWB.</p>
<p>I think the Republicans would relish the opportunity to run against HRC for the Presidency. A poll released this week found 44% of voters (registered or likely, I don’t know) said they would NEVER vote for HRC. The Republicans would only need to garner 6% of the remaining vote. From an Electoral College perspective, what state could HRC possibly win that John Kerry did not? Ohio or Florida-- forget about it. The Republicans would likely pickup Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>I agree that Senator Clinton doesn’t have much of a chance to win the next election.</p>
<p>Vice President Gore, Senator Kerry, and Senator Clinton have distinguished themselves throughout their brilliant careers. Tell us how GWB distinguished himself first as a businessman, Texas governor, and now possibly WORST President ever!</p>
<p>You expect me to do the hard work while you get away with generalities. First, you could not back up your claim that HRC has an IQ “1000 points” higher than GWB and now you state Gore, Kerry, and HRC have had “brilliant” careers and GWB is the “WORST” President ever with no proof offered for either claim. I am floored by your intellectual prowess.</p>
<p>I do offer proof that GWB is not the WORST President ever-- two words-- Jimmy Carter (a fellow graduate of USNA).</p>
<p>Stick to the issues and leave the personal attacks off of this forum. I’m smart enough to know that it’s a waste of my time to try and convince ANYONE who supports the current administration that it’s NOT improving the quality of life in our country OR making the world a safer place. Anyway, a recent New York Times poll said that highly educated men are typically DEMOCRATS!
Hey, you be dissin’ President Carter (are you related to BigGreen)? Remember that during President Carter’s administration, he realized that the United States was “addicted to oil” and encouraged the development of renewable sources of energy, e.g., solar, wind. geothermal. Reagan scuttled those programs because R&D would be more expensive that reverting to oil; another aspect of “vodoo economics.” In addition to our continued dependence on fossil fuels, Californians have to look at these ugly oil drilling platforms off of our beautiful coast (are they navigational hazards too?). Also, I would like to think that God has a special place in his heart for the wonderful work that President Carter and Mrs. Carter continue to do throughout the world.
You’re wasting your time. I grew up in a Republican household in Orange County, CA, but wised up in college.</p>
<p>Since you are smart enough to know that it’s a waste of your time to try and convince ANYONE who supports the current administration that it’s NOT improving the quality of life in our country OR making the world a safer place then I’m sure you restrain yourself when you are talking to most military personnel. After all, they supported GWB over John Kerry by a margin of about 73% to 18% in the last election (see <a href=“http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-383722.php[/url]”>http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-383722.php</a> )</p>
<p>As for the recent New York Times poll that said highly educated men are typically DEMOCRATS, I have never equated education with intelligence. I have served with many enlisted personnel with no college education that had common sense and intelligence far superior to many college professors. I say this as an individual with 3 college degrees and as a faculty member of a prestigious university.</p>
<p>“I have served with many enlisted personnel with no college education that had common sense and intelligence far superior to many college professors. I say this as an individual with 3 college degrees and as a faculty member of a prestigious university.”
-usna81</p>
<p>Are you saying that most enlisted personnel you’ve served with are SMARTER than you are? I would have to agree!</p>
<p>“Stick to the issues and leave the personal attacks off of this forum.”
-usna09mom</p>
<p>My last post.</p>
<p>I decided to add something to this last post, perhaps many of the listed personnel I served with were smarter than I am. Most of them were in their position due to a lack of awareness of opportunities and not because of some inferior mental capacity. I served in the nuclear Navy, so perhaps there was some selection process that weeded out some personnel. But I am not enough of elitist, as apparently some are, to think enlisted personnel are incapable of being more intelligent than the officers which they serve. As a junior officer, I quickly learned that I could not succeed without the support of my enlisted personnel and in some cases my life would depend on their training and their reasoning skills. It is a lesson all Naval Academy graduates must learn, their life may depend on it.</p>
<p>navy2010 - that’s like saying, “one in a milliion are pretty good odds”. haha.
USNA81 - thanks for your thoughtful & well-supported posts. Your points are well-taken. bz.</p>
<p>I’m glad it wasn’t your last post…with your experience as a Naval officer and as a grad of USNA, you have a lot of wisdom to impart. Your thoughtful posts are most appreciated …thanks.</p>
<p>My father who was a vet of WWII and a lifer in the Army…told me that one group of unsung heroes of WWII were the sergeants. All had been active duty before the US was involved in the war, and sadly at that time, were not held in the highest regard by the population in general. He said it was those men with their dedication and expertise who deserved the credit for saving the lives of so many GI’s. USNA81, you are so right when you praised the enlisted personnel.</p>
<p>“Are you saying that most enlisted personnel you’ve served with are SMARTER than you are? I would have to agree.” usna09mom</p>
<p>Is there any hope that you were just kidding usna09mom? </p>
<p><em>Sigh</em> I just have to assume that Roger couldn’t have imagined what was to become of Service Academy Parents Forum when he was kind enough to let our voices connect here for help & support. I won’t participate in this particular debate but wish USNA81 a very big welcome and a thank you for your service to our country, regardless of my personal political beliefs.</p>
You never know-</p>