Dialogue with Robert Hamer

We appreciate Robert Hamer's interest in our topic. Here are some answers to his questions in the comments on the Nov. 6 post:

Fair enough, OYE, but if you don't feel it necessary to "ask the question" to Mrs. Malkin, why do you often "ask the question" of the Bush twins, specifically Jenna? Is it because they're the President's daughters, or they're younger, or some other reason?

OYE Comment:

Rarely have we specifically Asked The Question of Ms. Jenna Bush, though we have reported on real Americans' doing so, and her Answer. [Karl wrote a polite letter to Ms. Bush c/o The White House and received a standard, non-substantive acknowledgement.] We have not Asked The Question of the other Bush twin, Ms. Barbara Bush.

Let's face it: Ms. Jenna Bush is extremely well known among young Americans, to the point that many military recruiters told Prof. Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, one of our nation's leading military sociologists and author of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, that enlisting Ms. Jenna Bush in our military would be the single greatest way of supporting military recruitment for the Global War on Terror. Prof. Moskos has therefore endorsed military service by both Ms. Jenna Bush and Ms. Chelsea Clinton (on whom we are preparing a posting).

Our First Couple has twin daughters and no sons; the American people, and therefore this blog, have focused on Jenna Bush as the person closest to Our President who appears eligible and could consider volunteering for military service.

For well over a year, we have focused even more on her beau, now fiance, Mr. Henry Hager. Frankly, when Henry Hager asked President Bush for Jenna's hand in marriage, President Bush should have told him to Be A Man! Enlist! and then come back and see him. In other words, the Oblige should come before the Noblesse. We will continue to Ask The Question of Mr. Henry Hager until he answers it or decides to Man Up!

I also find it a little unfair to call on ALL all healthy heterosexuals 41 and younger. While it is true that nothing should stop Mitt Romney's sons from signing up, I've also seen plenty of war supporters who are obviously not cut out for something like fighting a war. The military is an environment that very few people can adjust to, and if someone simply can not handle it, I won't harbor any ill feelings toward them.

OYE Comment:

We agree.

Technically, we ask all real Americans eligible to serve [healthy heterosexuals 41-or-under], who support the war, to consider volunteering for military service in the Global War on Terror, even if they plan other careers later in life. We also ask them to share the results of their deliberations, or explain why they won't even consider volunteering, in the same manner as their public support of the war.

We recognize that military service is not for everyone, for a wide variety of reasons. But it takes some form of courage at least to consider the military when our country is supposedly at war, and also to be honest with yourself. You can see on this blog, e.g., here and here, where we have thanked people at least for thinking about it. Obviously, some who think about it will find the courage within themselves to Be A Man! Enlist!

I'm not trying to be dick or anything, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly qualifies someone as a "Yellow Elephant."

OYE Comment:

A Yellow Elephant is someone eligible to serve [healthy heterosexual 41-or-under] who supports the war only if "other people" actually fight it. In other words, a Yellow Elephant refuses even to consider volunteering for military service in the war he 'supports.'

Steve Gilliard's An Honest Conversation says it best.

In our opinion, those not personally eligible to serve, who support the war, have an obligation to encourage their eligible relatives and friends, their circles of influence, to volunteer. Of course, the decision remains with each individual. But, if Mitt Romney cannot even ask his five sons to consider military service, well, what kind of a national 'leader' would he be?

There are also some political Yellow Elephants who continue to support the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy without personally encouraging real American heterosexuals to Be A Man! Enlist! In other words, hypocrisy. Given ongoing recruiting challenges, welcoming the voluntary service of non-heterosexuals is, frankly, a no-brainer.

Also, you call on all healthy heterosexuals 41 and younger to "Be A Man! Enlist!" Let's say they decided to "Be A Man! Get Commissioned!" instead? Does that still count?

Yes.

Prof. Charles Moskos Joins Operation Yellow Elephant

From National Public Radio's Morning Edition, July 10, 2007:

RENEE MONTAGNE (host): Every day, as people in Washington talk about how to end the war in Iraq, military men and women continue to pack up their gear and go there. Some line up at Baltimore/ Washington International Airport with their rifles in long metal cases. [ . . . ]

MONTAGNE: At this airport, some civilians reach out to shake a soldier's hand or offer a quick thanks. It's a good place to start a conversation about service, sacrifice and support at this stage of the war.

NPR's Neva Grant spoke to servicemembers headed for Iraq and also civilians traveling elsewhere.

Ms. JOAN MASON BAINES(ph): I think it’s because I don’t have any family members or know anyone in the military that I probably don’t support as much as I should.

NEVA GRANT: May I take your name, ma’am?

Ms. BAINES: Joan Mason Baines. I do look at them. Give them words of encouragement. Just non-verbally I just look at them. I don’t actually speak to them.

CATHY(ph): What’s interesting is my boys are that 20-something age, and if we had a mandatory draft, my boys would be there.

GRANT: And may I take your name?

CATHY: Cathy. I’m really divided because I would not want my boys going over there, and their friends are the ones that are over there now. And my son said to me, you know, we’ve got to be supportive for John(ph) because he hates it right now.

GRANT: And for you right now, what does supportive mean?

CATHY: You know, you just almost have to verbalize it. We have to just do it by words.

Mr. JEFF MCBRIDE(ph): My name is Jeff McBride. We’re going to be a facility engineering team in Iraq.

GRANT: You’ve mentioned that it’s very helpful to have complete strangers come up and say thank you.

Mr. MCBRIDE: I’ve had a lot of people come up in the airport, but I also had a lot of people in the local community where we are – people from church, or people that I know. They know that I’m going over there to serve and they’re like, if you need anything, if your wife needs anything, just give us a call.

Mr. ROBIN ATKINS(ph): My name is Robin Atkins. I just got out of high school. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m trying to do with my life. I’m definitely grateful for the soldiers being there. And there are so many people that are sitting on their asses here that aren’t even helping.

GRANT: Have you ever considered going into the military yourself?

Mr. ATKINS: Personally, I don’t think I’m cut out for the Army. If I went in the Army, I don’t think I’d come back. [ . . . ]

MONTAGNE: Voices of travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. We played this tape for two scholars who’ve written about military service and public opinion in wartime. First, sociologist Charles Moskos. He believes when the U.S. fights, it should draft people for the military and national service. His response to those airport travelers…

Professor CHARLES MOSKOS (Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Northwestern University): What struck me was that the civilian responses were so hypocritical. Oh it’s good that somebody’s fighting and dying for us so I don’t have to do it myself. I call that patriotism lite, L-I-T-E. Those who are not serving are not willing to do any sacrifice, don’t really pay much attention to those who are dying, and that reflects poorly, I think, on American character today.

MONTAGNE: Of those voices that we’ve heard just a moment ago, to my ear some of them sounded just a bit lost, like they didn’t know what they could possibly do.

Prof. MOSKOS: Well, short of signing up, I think what we say let’s raise our taxes, let’s have gasoline rationing, and let us try to encourage the children of Congress to join the military. You have to have privileged youths serve as well as people throughout the social spectrum. I want to see Congress’ kids in there. I want to see Jenna Bush and Chelsea Clinton there.

MONTAGNE: Some civilians are doing more than just putting yellow stickers on their bumpers. They’re sending, perhaps, packages to troops or making donations to the USO. Perhaps lobbying employers to hire veterans from the war. Is that serving in any sense?

Prof. MOSKOS: No. It’s – those kinds of steps, while obviously appreciated by soldiers, is not the same as having our privileged youth serving. It’s a way of avoiding the issue. So here, I’ll give you a package instead of my own son or daughter.

MONTAGNE: Charles Moskos is professor emeritus of sociology at Northwestern University, [whom we warmly welcome to Operation Yellow Elephant.]