Operation Yellow Elephant infiltrates YRNC 2007
To envision the Young Republican National Convention one must first think of their high school president, replicate him/her times 1000, and place yourself in the center of them all. The YR's were there to slap backs, attend trainings, become stuck to the floorboards drunk, dine with Presidential Candidates and make contacts that would help them to further their political careers. Unfortunately, the YR's that hadn't served in The Military (this being the overwhelming majority) are seemingly reluctant to believe serving will enhance their lifework.
Operation Yellow Elephant had sponsored a booth at the convention for Military Recruiters to use to encourage Our Nation's future Republican leaders to Be A Man! Enlist! Although the booth was to be used through Saturday 7 July the gentlemen from the National Guard recognized a waste of time and packed up, left by 1:10 PM on Friday 6 July, and never returned. Before their exodus, I was able to speak with the recruiters during a break and found out how their efforts had proved. The conversation went as follows:
O.Y.E. "So you guys working the recruiting both, I guess?"
Recruiter "Yeah."
O.Y.E "How's that going?"
Recruiter "Nothing right now."
O.Y.E. "No?"
Recruiter "We thought this would be an OK spot for recruiting but there's nothing here right now."
This conversation takes place at the 48 second mark on the video below. Forgive me for not capturing the recruiters' faces. They were unaware that my camera was recording. I wanted them to answer my questions without the reservations of having to say "the right thing" with a camera bearing down on them.
With the recruiters gone I was scrambling. My intentions of engaging those that passed by the booth without giving the National Guard recruiters a glance had crumbled. When plans go to hell I know of only the Gen X way to press on . . . . . by using mockery.
A huge hat tip goes out to Randi, Jack and Susan.
posted by Wek @ 7/11/2007 12:54:00 PM
19 comments
19 Comments:
What you are not telling is this conversation took place minutes after they arrive. We hide the truth if you have such a strong message.
BTW thanks for funding the next GOP Presidential candidate!
OYE removes comments that challenge them to show proof that they "couldn't join the military for medical reasons"
Why you may ask? Because they are liars!
This should prompt someone to create a blog yellow jackasses!
Since OYE will not allow this comment to last (so much for free speech) visit http://operationyellowjackass.blogspot.com/ for the truth!
Anon, you are funny. Are you for or against the war? If you're against it, fine. If not, why are you against those who wanted to start the war signing up? What's upsetting you so much?
I could ask you if you've signed up (if you support the war), but that would be pointless because you can say what you like with no comeback. So you might as well say you have if you do.
And what's with the "my comments were deleted! WAAH!" stuff? I can see these ones. You probably just pressed the wrong button, or the software ate them. Happens all the time. Grow up, and copy your comments to notepad.exe before posting.
Hey, I checked out the OYJ site. What's with limiting comments only to "team members"? Looks like they're unwilling to have their bullshit challenged.
I can't speak for anyone in Operation Yellow Elephant, I'm not a member of their group, and at 37 myself (i.e. no longer a young Democrat/Republican/anything) the question, "why aren't you in?" really doesn't much apply to me. But I am sympathetic to OYE and I can speak for myself. I know why I wouldn't post proof of rejection for medical reasons if it was asked of me.
In 1991 I decided to join the National Guard. While deciding whether or not to join Air or Army National Guard,l I went through all the preliminaries: talking to recruiters, paperwork, ASVAB and the physical. And everything went really well. I was a high school grad, had gone through a year of college, had a couple years working in community service and got high marks on the tests. The physical went fine until the very last test; the eye exam. I was told flat out that no branch of the service would accept me in any capacity. I was told something like "maybe standards will eventually change, depending on military need, but for the forseeable future you won't get in."
And that was it. I didn't pursue it further. Those were the standards, I didn't meet them, end of story. If I received any official documentation stating why I was rejected I don't remember it and I certainly didn't keep it. Why would I? At what point would I ever be required, or even asked to prove I had intended to join the military?
I was pretty disappointed at the time. I look back now, though, at how the reserve is being abused through the Bush admin's Iraq war policy. I'm guessing that had I not been rejected, then with the end of my reserve comittment in sight I would have been called back to active service in a war which I wholely disapprove. I can't say I feel so bad about being rejected now.
You are only 37, still under the age limit. If you have bad eyesight you can agree to get laser eye surgery on Uncle Sam's dime and then you should be all set!
"What you are not telling is this conversation took place minutes after they arrive. We hide the truth if you have such a strong message." Anon @ 12 July, 2007 00:11
Then why did the recruiters leave before 1:15 PM on Friday? If it was such a hotbed for recruiting don't you think they may have stuck around? Are you implying that these N.G. recruiters don't know a good opportunity when they see it?
"OYE removes comments that challenge them to show proof that they "couldn't join the military for medical reasons" Anon 12 July, 2007 00:15
Remove comments? Nope. But if you think we are you can always capture the screen image and prove us wrong when 'your comments are removed'. Also, to my knowledge I'm the only contributor to OYE that has mentioned anything about not being able to serve due to a medical condition. If you don't believe it I don't give a damn. And frankly, if you wish to see my medical records I think you know where you can stick that idea.
Same situation here, Jack. In 1987 I tried to join the Army reserves. I signed up in December, then attended drills for 5 months while awaiting my ship date for Basic.
Between my signup date and my ship date, I injured my knee in a karate tournament, and since I had no health insurance, I didn't see a doctor about it. I showed up at 5 in the morning on the day I was to ship out, and during the medical screening they did, the doctor asked me if I had any other injuries or medical conditions. I told him about my knee (which wasn't seriously hurt, but would occasionally pop out of place and give out on me.) They rejected me on the spot.
People today don't get that between Vietnam and Gulf War I, it was actually tough to get into the service. The military was being marketed almost exclusively as a way of paying for college, and it was definitely a buyers' market. They had a lot of people to choose from, and so their standards were pretty high.
Not that those serving nowadays aren't quality soldiers or anything, but since the demand for troops was lower then, they were a lot pickier.
Also, let's try it ONE MORE TIME for the sad little republicans:
Failing to enlist to serve in a war you support when there are troop shortages = hypocrisy.
Failing to enlist to serve in a war you consider unjust and criminal = NOT hypocrisy.
Why is that so hard to understand?
Operation Yellow Jackass-
First, welcome to the great American tradition of robust, uninhibited debate. Thank you for participating as we work together to help keep America great!
In reference to your latest multi-posted comment, you need to know that we will remove duplicative comments, but always leave at least one, to which we can respond.
There is no need for you to post the same comment, say, six times. We get your point the first time you make it.
One copy of each of your comments will remain on this blog for all eternity.
That's all.
Great stuff. Wish you edited the videos better -- just a little bit too much camera movement.
Of course, YRs aren't going to sign up for the military. That would require them to actually have a backbone. From the comment from the YR earlier, they get their feelings hurt easily.
How many "contributors" to this blog have served in combat? The question deserves to be answered. It's hypocritical to criticize others for not serving unless you yourself have served.
Give a Yellow Elephant a reason not to go to Iraq. Shoot a young Republican in the balls.
Or catch them on video while they are blowing each other in the back of the frat house. That way they can always have THAT excuse.
"But I can't go to Iraq- I'm a Foley intern"
Hey- Pay attention- We ARE AGAINST the War! YOU Are supposedly FOR IT. YOU Join up if you have the courage of your convictions about Iraq. I'm not because I'm not serving Dictator Bush in an illegal war. But if there was some REAL danger to our country, I'd defend our country in an instant. THe fact is- the country of Iraq Is not, has not been, a credible threat to the US. But you Young Repubs will gleefully send other's children to fight Battles you supposedly think are necessary while YOU stay here and run your mouths about how patriotic you are.
You are all weak-minded hypocrites. Thats What this whole Operation Yellow Elephant is about - Republican Hypocrisy. If you dont get it, well, I'm 100% sure its not the only damn thing you cant comprehend.
anonymous (12 July, 2007 00:15)-
As Jack and Knaverupe indicate, without a draft, our military does not necessarily provide written proof of ineligibility, or, indeed, even a written rejection. They just tell you they're not interested, and have a good life.
And they probably don't keep the ASVAB results and medical exams, etc., very long, especially once the subjects are too old to serve.
You'll have to evaluate what Jack and Knaverupe have stated, and make your own decision whether to believe it. They freely acknowledge that they don't have any "evidence" suitable for posting on a blog.
To see what Operation Yellow Elephant is all about, we suggest you review OYE 101: The Basics, in the upper-right corner:
We ask those eligible to serve who support the war to consider volunteering for military service, and to share the results of their own deliberations when publicly supporting the war.
Jack and Knaverupe have seen the inside of a recruiting station.
How about you?
anonymous (13 July, 2007 11:41)-
Please take a close look at OYE 101: The Basics, to find out what Operation Yellow Elephant is all about.
Because we have thought through our position vis-a-vis individual situations, you really should take the time to understand it.
We focus exclusively on those eligible to serve who support the war but refuse even to consider personally serving in our military. In other words, hypocrisy. That's all.
The real issue on this blog is not the ultimate patriotism of serving in combat, but the willingness to put oneself in harm's way for one's beliefs.
This blog has not taken a position on the war. Our contributors and supporters have a wide range of opinions on the war itself.
All we say is that, if our nation is going to fight a war, our national leadership has an obligation to encourage real Americans at least to consider volunteering for military service.
And if Our President's strongest supporters want to be respected as the future leaders of Our President's party, they have an obligation to set a good example for the rest of us.
After watching the video, this looks like a convention of Young WHITE Republicans.
Or would that just be redundant?
Anonymous (14 July, 2007 17:24)-
Yes.
"After watching the video, this looks like a convention of Young WHITE Republicans."
To be fair I have to say that there were in fact people at the YRNC that were not white. Although the vast majority of the participants were caucasian.
Blessed are the peacemakers, which pretty much damns the Republicans.
Confess your sins, Young Republicans, and be redeemed!
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