Pro vs. Con: Were John Kerry’s comment reprehensible?
Kerry’s comment could cause Democrats on Election Day

By Brandon Green
Collegian Reporter
November 8, 2006

The comments Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., made this past week could very well cost Democrats in the midterm elections. Kerry was talking to an audience composed of mostly college students at a rally for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides and said that if they “don’t [study hard], they would be stuck in Iraq.” Initially, Kerry came out and said that it was simply a “botched joke” towards President Bush and his broken policies in Iraq. The unfortunate thing for Kerry – and Democrats – is that people are thinking differently about all of this and feel that Kerry does not support the troops and the men and women who have died for our country. Can you blame them?

Many Democrats are up in arms over the comment. Dissatisfied Democrats and offended independents may be driven away from the polls because of Kerry’s moronic comments. In an election year that has seen Democrats make remarkable gains, it is sad to see Kerry come in and screw everything up. Even if he does support the troops and was simply criticizing Bush and an unjust war, there is absolutely no reason for a comment of that nature.

At the same time, people who are serving in Iraq see this comment that a politician makes and think that Democrats are against them and what they are doing in Iraq. I think it is just a bad image that Kerry has started because the comment has created a worldwide backlash. Even though Kerry claims it was a joke, he has created more trouble than he wanted. In the end, he could have cost his colleagues some elections, and worse yet, the respect of many Americans and politicians. The simple fact is that whether or not he agrees with the president about the situation in Iraq, he should still support the men and women fighting for their lives on a daily basis. His comments suggest anything but that.

Making any joke about Iraq is bad business for a politician. Taking a subject as serious as war and turning into a light-hearted anecdote is disrespectful to the men and women who put the lives on the line to fight for the freedoms that allow Kerry to look like a jackass. If he feels that we should be leaving Iraq, he should simply state his reasons why, and not involve the troops in any way.

Troop reactions have not been favorable. I saw a few interviews with soldiers since the comments, and many of them are very offended by the remark. This is not the first time Kerry has gotten into trouble with his mouth, and it seems like the man just cannot control his words during his speeches. A politician should know when to say something and when to hold back, and lately, Kerry has had a real problem with holding back his ridiculous and offensive thoughts. Now, I think his chances of becoming president in 2008 are just as good as him having a successful career in stand-up comedy.

greenb2@lasalle.edu