スティーヴン・キングが妻タビサと息子オーウェンとともに出席したイベント｢Three Kings｣で
読めないと将来は軍に入ってイラクに行くことになったり、まあなんだかそんなことになるぞ/"The fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't, then you've got the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that,"と発言したのだが、これはジョン・ケリー元民主党大統領候補が2006年に大学生達に対して言った
勉強しないとイラクで立ち往生するぞ/“You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”と同じで兵士をバカにしている、とNoel Sheppard氏が噛みついたことで少し騒ぎが起きた。
このあと、米軍のスポークスマンがキングのこのコメントに対して声明を出したり(AP通信)
"America's soldiers are proudly serving and fighting for us all. We can be proud of our soldiers' selfless service, their skill and their ingenuity. They certainly are role models for every high-school student in America considering a noble career...and many book authors."Noel Sheppardに対してキングがオフィシャルサイトで反論したりという応酬があったのだが、結局トム・アレン上院議員候補の資金集めパーティーにスティーヴン・キングが参加する話は流れてしまいました。トム・アレンはイラク戦争には反対しているようだが、メイン州はキングが｢I live in a national guard town,｣とオフィシャルサイトでの反論にも記しているような土地だからさすがにまずいということなんでしょうか、よく知らないけど。
スティーヴン・キングは勉強しないと将来の進路がすごく狭くなるということを言っただけで、アメリカの兵隊がみんな読み書きが出来ないといったわけではないのだが。｢逆は必ずしも真ならず｣を勉強するいい機会ですな。
ちなみにこの話題を取り上げたのは、｢MainToday.com｣、｢Bangor Daily News｣、｢NewsWeek｣のブログ"Soldier's Home"ぐらいであり、全国的な話題にはならなかったようです。
以下は記録のための転載
StephenKing.com｢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, and send him an email:
“Hi, Noel—Stephen King says to shut up and I agree.”
Steve
Posted 5 May 2008
A message from Stephen
While serving as an ambassador for reading, I made a statement that was construed by certain right-wing bloggers and commentators as a knock on the US military. That wasn't my intention. I like the troops just fine, and respect the hell out of their brainpower. I know that most of them read, because I send them books when they ask, and a lot do. I will continue to provide this service. It's the war our politicians--many of whom have never heard a shot fired in anger--have sent them to fight that I have a problem with. But that is neither here nor there. What concerns me is how many high school students either read poorly or choose not to read at all, unless forced to do it. Part of the reason is cutbacks in educational money that the national government used to provide. Part of the reason has to do with mistaken initiatives like No Child Left Behind, which teaches kids to pass tests but not to think or to rejoice in the language arts. Most teachers loathe the No Child program, and I don't blame them. Kids who read poorly do poorly on their SATs and have bad or barely acceptable grade-point averages. Many will be faced with entry-level jobs like clerking and handing out burgers from the drive-thru window. The best option for many is the armed services, because they see a chance to continue their educations and/or learn a marketable skill. Many will wind up in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some will die, because this is an entry-level position where kids wind up getting shot at. I love their courage, I wish they were there for a better reason, and most of all I hope that my remarks won't detract from the real problem: too many kids in America read for pleasure on the text-screens of their phones and hardly anywhere else."
Posted 14 May 2008
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