You Tell Me What This Bumper Sticker Meant

[ThomWV]

Out riding my bike today, at a traffic light the car in front of sported this bumper sticker:

My Son Served In Iraq
So that
Your Son Could Party In College

I should mention that the I saw this in Morgantown, WV, which is the home of West Virginia University, which is the largest employer in the county, and also that approximately half of the population (25,000 out of 50,000) of the town attend one of the Colleges of that University.

What on earth was going on in this person's mind?

[Taverner]

1. You mean if we didn't invade Iraq, Muslims would go to our college town and steal the beer?

(Shakes head)

[fenriswolf]

2. hes pissed off because everyone around him forgets their is a war going on

while he is directly affected by it everyone else who does not have a family member is not, they only remember that we have a war when they hear about it on TV. I'm pissed about it too.

[rpannier]

15. Agreed

That's how I see that sticker.

It seems there are many out there who only focus on the war when it garners them media attention, rating points or political points

[UncleSepp]

22. Nicely done. I think you nailed it.

What a pleasure to read such a compassionate and empathetic response :-)

[Nitrogenica]

3. Hatred of Liberals because of propaganda.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. I don't think of college kids partying as being liberal

In fact, the worst example of a drunken frat boy is a Republican.

[HereSince1628]

4. Resentment between town and gown?

It would hardly be the first college-town to experience that.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. You may have something there

I grew up in a university town, and went to the school on scholarship while still living at home (only way to afford it). There was a sharp distinction between "townies" and the rest of the university--townies were definitely looked down upon by the frat boy types, and many a working family resented the snobbish superiority that some university types espoused. I'll never forget when, as a freshman, I was asked to tutor one of the football players in history. He was rather deflated when I told him I had no idea who he was but that I was supposed to help him pass the class this time (I think he was a sophomore or junior).

[HereSince1628]

23. "Breaking Away" sort of told the story

It was worse in the way-back when there weren't student loans, and colleges and universities were populated by the haves while the have nots washed the toilets.

My SO's mother cleaned toilets for the University of Chicago. When the SO graduate with her MA from U of C one of the faculty recognized "mom" as a cleaning lady and thanked her for caring enough about students to attend a graduation.

There was no awareness that a staff member could produce a kid that attended. It was a little slight, but it's a wound that has never healed.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

31. I can relate

I was able to attend a university lab school for high school. The kids who went were mostly faculty kids, and they looked down on me. I still recall when one kid's dad called my step-dad, who was an electrician, for help repairing a doorbell. This prof and his daughter were really "we're so wonderfully smart, you peasant" types that Dad got a kick out of going to do a repair that even I could have done--and then charging the prof $20 for his time (this was in the 1960s). So sometimes the blue collars got one over the academics.

[MountainLaurel]

33. It's certainly an issue there

The population of the city literally doubles when the students are in town, and the university keeps growing. Plus, every year the city becomes more dependent on the university for income, as other employers close down. It can be a rough relationship.

The ironic part of that bumper sticker is that, while WVU is certainly a party school, most of the students there are working their asses off trying to be able to afford school. I can't speak for the half of students who are from out of state, but of the in-staters, a majority receive needs-based aid, many are the first people in their families to attend college, and so many are working. I can think of DU friends at WVU who have a hell of a time working, going to school, and handling family issues. And heaven knows the locals aren't teetotalers who have never seen a keg party: When I was living there, local juveniles actually caused a lot of the problems blamed on college students. (I remember seeing the book of arrests at the police department when I was a journalism student. Juvenile arrests were in a different color.) And I had more problems with my stoner non-student neighbors making noise than I did when I lived next to students.

[Catherine Vincent]

5. There's nothing I could say about that sticker.

Unbelievable.

[rateyes]

6. I like it myself.

Especially when College Republicans are reading it.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. Darned right

I think that the driver was referring to the partying frat boy types. You know, the ones that get in on legacies and do things like cheerleading.

[JVS]

7. translation: ask me about the chip on my shoulder.

[bluerum]

8. Clearly, if we hadn't invaded Iraq, our educational system would have crumbled.

[ThomWV]

10. or that partying would forever cease

[LSK]

9. Saddam was going to launch all his nukes onto colleges???

:shrug:

[Vincardog]

11. Their son was not as smart as aWoL he had a plan to stay out of war and party in school too

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

It is a comment on class differences

This person realizes that poor kids really have limited options, and among the best is to enter the military. He realizes too that rich kids often waste their time in college partying. This would be a person to talk to about the GOP--if he's not a Dem, he would make a good one.

BTW, the only reason I was able to attend university was because of a scholarship and the fact I could live at home. I lived near campus and witnessed wild frat parties from the time I was 6 on up. Sorry, but I have nothing but contempt for those who would waste such a wonderful and precious opportunity for education. Too bad one of those frat party goers became President--I think if the driver of the truck had been given his place at Yale, the world would be a better place.

[tinymontgomery]

12. They are saying that their son fighting in Iraq allowed

the * daughters to drink and party and make fools of themselves during their college days and their proud they allowed their hero's kids to party instead of serving their country.

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. Her son in the military paid for the other son's college tuition?

With government money paid from the military?

I'm trying to find the logic, but it escapes me.

[Yael]

18. It is a social class thing, I believe

[Mountainman]

19. Parents living in denial that their children are cannon fodder for nothing.

[Virginia Dare]

29. Or it could be sarcasm..

their child "volunteered" so your child didn't have to be drafted?

[Sal Minella]

30. Yup. Hurts. I can't even imagine how it must hurt. And if denial works.....

[leeroysphitz]

20. Townies. Hmmph...

[sendero]

21. It meant....

.. that the driver is an idiot trying to take credit for something that was not only not his doing, but counterproductive to America as well.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. It means the driver is an idiot

Stay away, stay very far away.

[Lex]

25. And some other kid servied in VietNam so Bush could party in college

and skip out on the Texas Air Nat'l Guard.

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. Exactly

[Warren DeMontague]

26. "My Dad served in Vietnam, so your President could party in the Nat'l Guard." nt

[Virginia Dare]

28. I like it, it would have been great back in 2004...n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. It means "Please pat me on the back". For *something*. nt