Liberty's Blog

No Respect

While Greg is outraged and asking for a Boycott of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Richard Belzer made some outrageous character assassinations on the folks serving in our military along with some very unfair generalizations. Brent Baker provides a transcription along with the video links.

Richard Belzer: "“Yeah, come on. Our soldiers now are at-"

Ros-Lehtinen: "Are a volunteer force, a volunteer force."”

Belzer: "“Okay, fine. No one questions the nobility and the honor that these men and woman who are serving and what they're doing. No one questions that. But now they're targets, they're not going out. Now they're just protecting each other and they're in the middle of a civil war. So it's really not fair to have these people who volunteered their lives to protect our nation under false pretenses to now be, to have targets-"”

Ros-Lehtinen, over loud applause for Belzer: "“Ask them. Ask them if it's fair! Wait a minute, wait a minute. My stepson, wait a minute, my stepson-"

Belzer: "That's bullshit: ask them! They're not, they don't read twenty newspapers a day. They're under the threat of death every minute. They're not the best people to ask about the war because they're gonna die any second."

Ros-Lehtinen: "“Wait a minute! You are talking about my stepson, my stepson who just finished last week eight months of duty-"

Belzer over Ros-Lehtenin: "God bless your stepson. Doesn't mean he's a brilliant scholar about the war because he's there. (applause) And God bless him."”

Ros-Lehtinen, quite agitated: "“Oh, you are though! You are though? Okay."”

Belzer: "“Well I have more time, I'm not there. My life is not under threat."

Ros-Lehtinen: "Thank you. I'm glad."

Maher: "I think the point he's trying to make is that a 19-year-old who is in that army because he probably couldn't find other employment-"”

Ros-Lehtinen: "He's a college graduate. He's a Marine officer. He volunteered for the Marines."

Belzer: "He's the exception for the rule."”

Ros-Lehtinen: "He's not the exception for the rule. I've been there-"”

Belzer: "“You think everyone over there is a college graduate? They're 19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job-"”

Ros-Lehtinen: "Yeah, you know because you've been there and-"
”

Belzer: "“What, I don't fucking read!? Don't do that!"

Maher, over Belzer: "“Woe, woe, woe. Come on. Wait, wait, wait. That, don't."”

I see this attitude when some people talk about Viet Nam veterans, and to see this ignorance pisses me of jsuppose much as any other bigotry. I supose the thought goes, "These young people are fighting a war I don't believe in, therefore they can't be as smart as me."

The warzones aren't just 19 year old kid's, and they are the best this country has to offer. Many years ago I served, and I found these young men were among the most dedicated professionalls. They were not only proffessional but had an excellent understanding of why they were serving and the nuances of their service. Todays millitary is better prepared, better educated, and in better position than almost any Hollywood actor. Richard Belzer may think his 20 newspapers make him better informed, but those who have served understand and comprehend beyond what we who sit at home ever will. Belzer is entitled to his opinion, but for him to dismiss the opinions of those opinions so completely is complete arrogance
Update:
Rob Booth had a say on this a while ago.

posted by Liberty @ 8:58 PM