Stephen King Thinks Illiterate Join Military

[Skutatos]

Stephen Kings Thinks Illiterate Join Military

by Sean Hackbarth
Legendary author Stephen King joins Sen. John Kerry in thinking the U.S. military is full of people who can’t read. Terry Ann Online (http://www.terryannonline.com/2008/05/reading-is-fundamental.html) grabbed the video. Here’s what he said to a group of young people at an event aired on C-SPAN’s BookTV Sunday 05.04.08:

I don’t want to sound like an ad–a public service ad on TV–but the fact is that if you can read you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t then you got the Army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that. It’s not as bright. So that’s my little commercial for that.
(I hope the applause came from the “reading is important remark” not the “soldiers are illiterate and end up in Iraq” quip.)
King thinks the troops stationed in Iraq are illiterate, uneducated people who couldn’t get jobs in the U.S. Nice. Real nice.
In 2005 a Pentagon official addressed the myth of the stupid soldier (http://www.militaryconnections.com/news_story.cfm?textnewsid=1767) [via Gateway Pundit (http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/10/democratic-leader-john-f-kerry-trashes.html)]:

“They are so clearly a cut above America,” Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said of today’s recruits.
Carr bristles when he hears unfounded charges that the men and women entering the military are less educated, less affluent or less likely than other 18- to 24-year-olds to have alternatives to military service. Rather, a combination of volunteerism and commitment to service is prompting young people to enlist, Carr said, noting that a measure of shrewdness plays into their decision. “They are planning their future and considering what part we can play in it,” he said.
Carr likes to think of himself as a “myth buster,” helping break stereotypes he said are flat-out wrong and cheat servicemembers out of the pride they’ve earned and deserve.
He rattled off examples of those myths and set the record straight for each one.
* Myth 1: Military recruits are less educated and have fewer work alternatives than other young Americans.
In fact, military recruits are far better educated than the general youth population, Carr said. More than 90 percent of recruits have a high school diploma, compared to about 75 percent of the U.S. youth population.
That’s an important issue to the military, Carr said, because a traditional high school diploma is the single best indicator of a recruit’s stick-to-it-ness and likelihood of successfully adjusting to military service. Recruits with a high school diploma have a 70 percent probability of completing a three-year enlistment versus a 50 percent chance for nongraduates.
The Heritage Foundation (http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed112905a.cfm) found “the typical recruit in the all-volunteer force is wealthier, more educated and more rural than the average 18- to 24-year-old citizen is.” It’s a safe assumption they can read too.


Rest of the article and the video:
http://www.theamericanmind.com/2008/05/05/stephen-kings-thinks-illiterate-join-military/

Typical elitist attitude :roll:

[gaijinsamurai]

Fvck Stephen King. His earlier books (The Stand, Pet Cemetary, The Shining, Etc.) were great, but he lost his touch a long time ago. What he thinks is irrelevant.

[Antimatty]

eh, kings books are typically pretty "meh". i've liked some of his short stories and its all easy reading, but he's not really someone who's opinion i would really respect.

read starship troopers. thats a great book there. infact, i think im going to re-read it.

[Skutatos]

I agree with you on starship troopers, its a great book.

[LaoSexMachine]

I read some of his books while I was in the military.

[Antimatty]

if you like starship troopers, i also recommend The Forever War by Joe Haldeman ( inspired by starship troopers , but the guy was a Vietnam vet so he had some insight into the military ) and Old Mans War by John Scalzi . wich is more scifi than the others but still a good book.

[Backwoodshunter]

What an idiot, most books I read about special forces guys, seals and green berets, they always talk about fellow members that have ridiculous college degrees. Sure he might not have considered them, but how could you make such a vast assumption about such an important duty, filled by the likes that he probably couldn't hold a ****ing candle too.

[Antimatty]

have you ever seen photos of him? he seems like he would be a really awkward person. i guess i will officially start disliking him now.

[BloodyTalon]

I like some of his novels, but dear god that guy is a total bell-end. And the last time he wrote a good novel was Cell.

[Skutatos]

if you like starship troopers, i also recommend The Forever War by Joe Haldeman ( inspired by starship troopers , but the guy was a Vietnam vet so he had some insight into the military ) and Old Mans War by John Scalzi . wich is more scifi than the others but still a good book.

Yup, old mans war is good, I have the forever war but not with me at the moment, havent had a chance to read it yet.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Actually he does have a point. Apart from officers historically speaking general infantry have always been drawn from lower socio-economic groups.

You go crap at school, can't get a job what do you do? Join the army, learn skills and get a good job when you get out. All the while getting paid to get your education and qualifications.

It's not a new thing.

Many people do join for all the right reasons. But many also join because it's the only job they CAN join.

Not everyones a Pat Tillmen

[Antimatty]

he's not speaking historically. he's talking about today's American military . hell, in the last decade or whatever one of the biggest reasons people enlisted was to get money to go to college .

[Cipher]

It's not like a lot of the military can't read; it's that they can't spell.

They seriously need some Powerpoint classes on proper spelling.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Min,

Once again you open your mouth without facts. Did you not read the article? I can tell you from personal experience that the majority of people in the Marine Corps are well educated people. Yes, some idiots who can't do anything else get into the service and become grunts. But in all of the support MOS's (ie. Not Grunts) the vast majority of Marines are as well educated or better educated than any regular civilian.

Your damaging my good faith that your not trying to piss on people...

Come on man. I'm not pissing on people far from it. I hold all service people in very high regard. Some of my closest buddies are in the service(s).

[noname]

stephen king should be waterboarded and sodomized by the tusks of a group of extremely angry african elephants.

[bigvig]

stephen king should be waterboarded and sodomized by the tusks of a group of extremely angry african elephants.

Agreed. Can't understand these people who look down on the military as sort of a "last resort" career for dumb people. Every single Marine that I know in real life, has a college degree. Every person I know in the military in general has a college degree or some college.

This **** needs to STFU.

[Delta Niner]

yeah? i think his books stinks like ****

[khukuri]

The funny part is that it is usually the intellectuals who struggle in the army.

[muttbutt]

You know I see these thread's on here pretty often, so and so said some thing about the military/country/politician you like/insert something to be outrage by, and I have to ask.....who the hell cares what any of these people think about anything?, why give them a moment of your precious time, to even rebuke them...so what if SK said that, **** him, he writes ****e pulp novels that are frankly an insult to the literary tradition (just think of the FG taking the pisss out of him), he has 2-3 half decent works to his name, I personnally liked "IT", I still wouldn't give his opinion on the state of the World the steam of my piss though,
I don't care if they are left right or from the monster raving looney party, their opinions mean nothing in he great scheme of things, and you shouldn't get worked up by them....after all he is an entertainer, he get's his kicks from the attention you lavish on him.

[AlphaOneSix]

It's pretty clear that what he is saying is being taken out of context. I watched the video and read the article and nowhere does King say that the military is full of uneducated illiterates. All he says is that it's important to be literate. If you're literate, you can get a decent job, if you're not, then you have the military. Plenty of smart people join the military. Plenty of retards do, too.

[muttbutt]

Why? I'll tell you why, celebrities have a bully pulpit and a press that agrees with them, if we don’t speak out to counteract their leftist attitudes and ignorance it will continue unchecked.
And how is that going to work unless he happenes to read milphotos?.....he and the people who witter on about this sort of thing, you'll never change their mind's, it the "Rosie O'Donnell syndrome" love of their own voice+crowd of puppets lapping all up X sense of self satisfaction = win win to a celebrity, are you going to hunt down 3/4 of Hollywood and take out the staff of the NY times?..because thats really the only way to be sure.

the only people who get their opinions from celebrities are muppets anyway

[Piepalook]

It's pretty clear that what he is saying is being taken out of context. I watched the video and read the article and nowhere does King say that the military is full of uneducated illiterates. All he says is that it's important to be literate. If you're literate, you can get a decent job, if you're not, then you have the military. Plenty of smart people join the military. Plenty of retards do, too.

So a job in the military is not a decent job, according to Mr. King.
Unfortunately he lives in an imaginary world.
We live in the real world.

[Buckeye67]

It's pretty clear that what he is saying is being taken out of context. I watched the video and read the article and nowhere does King say that the military is full of uneducated illiterates. All he says is that it's important to be literate. If you're literate, you can get a decent job, if you're not, then you have the military. Plenty of smart people join the military. Plenty of retards do, too.

It isn't being taken out of context. It's being taken to the only logical inference that can be made from what he said (and what you just said, thanks).

If you're "literate" you'll be successful. If you're not, you end up in the Army in Iraq.

"Successful people" = "literate"

"Army people" = NOT "literate"

You can make excuses for him all you want, but he's perpetuating the same retarded stereotype that's plagued the military for decades - that only stupid losers who can't get a "real job" go into the military.

**** that and **** him.

That said, the military being a cross-section of the population, there are some extremely bright people - for example, I was in Military Intelligence and went to the Defense Language Institute. I met some exceedingly well educated, motivated, intelligent folks - enlisted people with bachelors and grad school. Yes, I met some rockheads too.

I now work at a university. "Academia" is just as full of idiotic nitwits as the military, if not moreso.

So, just to recap - fvck Stephen King.

Edit: Apparently he has a forum on his website. Several military types have taken issue with what he's said. The forum is now "closed for maintenance" for a week. Sure, Steve. Sure... maintenance. For a week.

http://www.stephenking.com/forums/

[AGE-Ranger]

Some of my closest buddies are in the service(s).

"Some of my best friends are black!"

Seriously man, go explain to those "friends" how you think their illiterate.


It's pretty clear that what he is saying is being taken out of context.

You know, I'm really sick of seeing this excuse. Do you even know what "context" means? I cant tell you how many people in the media and on these forums said Pastor Wright was "being taken out of context", than we see him "in context" and its the same damn crazy rantings! What context are we missing exactly? Is there some kind of context that justifies "the fact is that if you can read you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t then you got the Army, Iraq,"?

Hes clearly saying that he thinks people in the Army cant read! Its no different than a racist who thinks most black people cant read, except this guy hates the military.

[RB]

It isn't being taken out of context. It's being taken to the only logical inference that can be made from what he said (and what you just said, thanks).

**** that and **** him.

So, just to recap - fvck Stephen King.

Edit: Apparently he has a forum on his website. Several military types have taken issue with what he's said. The forum is now "closed for maintenance" for a week. Sure, Steve. Sure... maintenance. For a week.

http://www.stephenking.com/forums/

Well said Buckeye!!
Expect a retraction very.....very very soon..... :bash:

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=4302

You lot might want to watch the full thing

[California Joe]

Stephen King comes from East Buttf*ck, Maine, and grew up during the Vietnam era and is a product of those times and that mindset. He's simply applying it to the current conflict.

I am old enough to remember when it was common practice up here to take a local kid that was constantly in trouble and tell him "You get down to the recruiters and sign up or you're going to jail". My wifes step brother was given that very option.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Stephen King comes from East Buttf*ck, Maine, and grew up during the Vietnam era and is a product of those times and that mindset. He's simply applying it to the current conflict.

I am old enough to remember when it was common practice up here to take a local kid that was constantly in trouble and tell him "You get down to the recruiters and sign up or you're going to jail". My wifes step brother was given that very option.

Thats basically what I was getting at. But alas I'm crap at explaining myself.

:)

[conefire]

It's pretty clear that what he is saying is being taken out of context. I watched the video and read the article and nowhere does King say that the military is full of uneducated illiterates. All he says is that it's important to be literate. If you're literate, you can get a decent job, if you're not, then you have the military. Plenty of smart people join the military. Plenty of retards do, too.
Exactly. He merely said that there's a tendency for people with bad education to join the military as a fallback. It was one sentence, probably one he didn't think through that much. The idiot to me is the guy who bothered to blew it up into a whole article.

BTW: In the German Army we had a very insulting term for those people: "Zivilversager", "civilian failures". They exist and that's a fact. It doesn't mean everyone in the army is.

[deagle]

what an idiot. lots of servicemen not only know english, but another foreign language, and i'm talking about basic Iraqi (written/spoken), IN ADDITION to more common second languages (spanish, italian, french etcc), so they're basically tri-lingual in a way.

and right off the bat, how many regular civilians (non-geography majors) can read a military map with elevations, coordinates (airstrikes), and basic navigation. Heck, most ppl don't know how to read a paper map, and buy portable navigation systems.

bet stephen king can't.

and if he's such a good writer, why does he stick to horror genre. broaden up, take a risk, and write a romance novel or a kids book. bet he not as "literary versatile" enough to do that. bet he can't read a map with contours. bet he doesn't know second or third language. what a loser.

[NoMoreWhiskey]

. Heck, most ppl don't know how to read a paper map, and buy portable navigation systems.

And some people don't even have maps...



In the German Army we had a very insulting term for those people: "Zivilversager", "civilian failures". They exist and that's a fact. It doesn't mean everyone in the army is.
So what you want to say is that if a person once failed in his civvie life, he can't become a good soldier?

[seraosha]

non issue, and CJ hit it on the head.

I've been reading King for years, and I'll keep doing so. He is just the next celeb that talked about a topic that he doesn't know very well, probably without thinking, and is going to take it in the ass over it.

I expect an article from him soon where he will expound on the topic, and will dig the hole deeper, then try to make light of it and piss off more folks. It's pretty much his MO after his accident...the man is successful, wealthy, and doesn't have to "give a sh!t", so I don't expect him to.

"The Dark Tower" series is still the best thing written since "The Lord of The Rings", as for epic scale and a war on many fronts, imo.

This is a perfect example where his own character Roland from Gilead would say:

"You have forgotten the face of your father, Stephen."

[Beowulf]

من فکر میکنم که اقا کینگ کیف دوش باشد

Man fekr meekonom kay aghaye King keefay douche bashd

I think Mr King is a douche bag.

It's not legitimate farsi, but it works for me.

[PennyWise]

Interesting. I sometimes do clown acts to earn some extra money. I named myself "PennyWise" after the clown from Stephen King's It. Thats what my usename is named after.

http://www.razorapple.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/pennywise-clown-it.jpg

[ed316]

Actually he does have a point. Apart from officers historically speaking general infantry have always been drawn from lower socio-economic groups.

You go crap at school, can't get a job what do you do? Join the army, learn skills and get a good job when you get out. All the while getting paid to get your education and qualifications.

It's not a new thing.

Many people do join for all the right reasons. But many also join because it's the only job they CAN join.

Not everyones a Pat Tillmen

I chose the Marine Corps because I wanted to be a Marine not because I couldn't get a job.

You don't need to be a Pat Tillman. Ever think that some people join because they want to be a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airmen?

[Atlantic Friend]

Stephen Kings Thinks Illiterate Join Military

From a guy who doesn't know how to write anymore...

[helomech]

Interesting. I sometimes do clown acts to earn some extra money. I named myself "PennyWise" after the clown from Stephen King's It. Thats what my usename is named after.

http://www.razorapple.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/pennywise-clown-it.jpg

That's great.......I hate clowns


Clowns must die

[khalifah]

You don't need to be a Pat Tillman. Ever think that some people join because they want to be a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airmen?

tis Truth

My cousin enlisted after HS...regardless of acceptance at UT in Austin, and his wealthy family. Now after 6 years as a Marine this month he doesnt regret it.

[noname]

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=4302

You lot might want to watch the full thing

I think this is the wrong video. All I see is Janet Reno talking.

[California Joe]

I swear to Gawd that I greatly respect the military, and I have worked with hundreds of brilliant people from all services. Enlisted and Officers, but I watched a couple episodes of that show "Carrier" this weekend and I have to say, the retard factor was high in a few of them on that show.

[oregongrunt]

" Let me be clear about three facts:
First, all battles and all wars are won in the end by the Infantryman.
Secondly, the Infantryman always bears the brunt, his casualties are heavier, he suffers greater extremes of discomfort and fatigue than the other arms.
Thirdly, the art of the Infantryman is less stereotyped and far harder to acquire in modern war than of any other arm.
The infantryman has to use initiative and intelligence in almost every step he moves, every action he takes on the battlefield. We must therefore put our men of best intelligence and endurance into the Infantry."
Field Marshall Viscount Wavell. 1945

[Havoc345]

I swear to Gawd that I greatly respect the military, and I have worked with hundreds of brilliant people from all services. Enlisted and Officers, but I watched a couple episodes of that show "Carrier" this weekend and I have to say, the retard factor was high in a few of them on that show.

They're 18-21 yr old sailors, what teenage kid that age doesn't act like a retard alot of the time.

[Havoc345]

" Let me be clear about three facts:
First, all battles and all wars are won in the end by the Infantryman.
Secondly, the Infantryman always bears the brunt, his casualties are heavier, he suffers greater extremes of discomfort and fatigue than the other arms.
Thirdly, the art of the Infantryman is less stereotyped and far harder to acquire in modern war than of any other arm.
The infantryman has to use initiative and intelligence in almost every step he moves, every action he takes on the battlefield. We must therefore put our men of best intelligence and endurance into the Infantry."
Field Marshall Viscount Wavell. 1945

x2

12345678

[dave81]

The military is full of the best & brightest America has to offer...that being said, there *are* a lot of borderline retards in the service right now, and more than a few semi-illiterate nudniks who can barely spell and lack what you & I would consider "general knowledge"; for example, not knowing who the current Vice-President of the US is.
To be fair, I will admit that most of my buddies (the guys *I* hang with) are pretty bright, and one is a walking history book. I just generally try to avoid conversations with the guy in my unit who genuinely thought "Illinois" was spelled "Ilonoy" and wasn't sure if Chicago was a state or a city.

I am currently in the US Army and I approve this message.

[California Joe]

They're 18-21 yr old sailors, what teenage kid that age doesn't act like a retard alot of the time.

BTDT......:)

[Havoc345]

BTDT......:)

Of course, there's good/intelligent and bad/dumb people everywhere in every profession. To hold the military to this standard of perfection where no service member can ever screw up or look like an idiot is absurd. There people just like everyone else, and these posts about " Well I was in the army and there was some big dumbasses is just adding fuel to the fire".

[AGE-Ranger]

Apparently, SK has targeted the media watch dog newsbusters and has commanded his followers to go after the website.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/05/06/king-asks-fans-e-mail-nbs-sheppard-shuts-down-own-message-boards


A message from Stephen That a right-wing-blog would impugn my patriotism because I said children should learn to read, and could get better jobs by doing so, is beneath contempt. Noel Sheppard says, “Nice sentiment when the nation is at war, Stephen.” I guess he feels ignorance and illiteracy are OK when the country needs cannon-fodder. I guess he also feels that the war in Iraq has nationwide approval. Well, it doesn’t have mine. It is a waste of national resources. . . and that includes the youth and blood of the 4,000 American troops who have lost their lives there and for the tens of thousands who have been wounded. I live in a national guard town, and I support our troops, but I don’t support either the war or educational policies that limit the options of young men and women to any one career—military or otherwise. If you agree, find Sheppard on the internet (http://newsbusters.org/blog/26), and send him an email:

“Hi, Noel—Stephen King says to shut up and I agree.”
SteveIt kind of makes the fact he shut down his forum even funnier.

[McNasty]

You know, I'm really sick of seeing this excuse. Do you even know what "context" means? I cant tell you how many people in the media and on these forums said Pastor Wright was "being taken out of context", than we see him "in context" and its the same damn crazy rantings! What context are we missing exactly? Is there some kind of context that justifies "the fact is that if you can read you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t then you got the Army, Iraq,"?

Hes clearly saying that he thinks people in the Army cant read! Its no different than a racist who thinks most black people cant read, except this guy hates the military.
He's clearly saying that illiterate people may seek employment in the Army (or "something like that"), not that everyone in the Army is illiterate. Clear distinction.

[AGE-Ranger]

He's clearly saying that illiterate people may seek employment in the Army (or "something like that"), not that everyone in the Army is illiterate. Clear distinction.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you have to be able to read in the Army.

[Polygon]

From a guy who doesn't know how to write anymore...

Agreed, I don't take much stock in what he says anymore considering how poor his latest books and movie adaptations have been

[Wild Dog]

Kings loves to bash the Army a good example is The Stand.