.BDN interview: Stephen King defends remarks on Army, Iraq
Who knew that promoting literacy could cause such a firestorm?
Bangor author Stephen King has found himself the target of e-mailers and phone callers for what he told high school students while stressing the importance of reading at the Library of Congress on April 4: "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."
A video of King's speech can be found at http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=9307&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No
Even as King defended his position in a telephone interview with the BDN on Wednesday, the flap over his remarks drew a response from U.S. Army spokesman Paul Boyce, who said most soldiers are avid readers and that military recruits test above the national average in reading and vocabulary skills.
"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," Boyce said.
A story about the issue in Wednesday’s Bangor Daily News also stirred considerable reader debate online at www.bangordailynews.com.
As of 6:30 p.m., users from across the country had posted more than 160 comments on the site. Nearly 5,000 people had taken an online poll on whether King should apologize for the remarks.
About 62 percent of those responding thought he should. Thirty eight percent said he should not.
A review of reader comments on the site found a roughly similar level of antipathy for King’s statements.
Among those who criticized King, Ed in Indianapolis wrote, "Stephen King is a wordsmith, thus he SHOULD Know that Words Have Meaning, and if he was not SURE that the words he was using would evoke the response that he received, and didn’t want that kind of reaction, then he SHOULD HAVE USED DIFFERENT WORDS."
Barbara of Phoenixville, Pa., added: "I have to say as a die hard King fan, hearing Mr. King use his status as a best selling author, and using a children’s forum as a platform to preach his political views, INTENTIONALLY no doubt, was pathetic."
Among supporters, Jeff of Wilbraham, Mass., wrote: "You people are taking his comments too literally."
Clint of Meeteetse, Wyo., wrote: "Stay in school... and when the recruiter calls... tell ’em that you’ll sign up as soon as Jenna Bush does."
Still others disagreed with King while defending his right to his opinion.
Rob of Midway Park, N.C., wrote: "I’m in the Marine Corps, and I firmly believe you can support the troops without supporting the war. Mr. King said what he believed. There is nothing wrong with that."
At Bangor International Airport on Wednesday, a handful of troop greeters who took offense to King’s comments removed any items related to the horror writer from their room at the terminal where the photos, books and articles are traditionally displayed. The greeters indicated the items would not be displayed again until King apologized.
The best-selling author was not issuing any apologies, however, when the BDN reached him by phone at his Sarasota, Fla., winter home on Wednesday.
Referring to right-wing blogger Noel Sheppard, who helped fan the flames of criticism this week, King said, "Guys like him take their cues from [conservative commentators Rush] Limbaugh and [Bill] O’Reilly, who are adept at shifting discussion from what they don’t want to talk about, such as the failures of the war in Iraq, to what they want to talk about — supporting the troops. Of course, we all support the troops."
In reference to King’s remarks at the Library of Congress, Sheppard wrote on his blog, "Nice sentiment when the nation is at war, Stephen."
King said Wednesday he was speaking from his experience as a reading ambassador, who has talked to at-risk students at several high schools.
"I see a lot of young people who don’t test well and don’t read particularly well," he said. "When we ask them what they’re going to do, they say go into the service. If you can read, the world is open to you, your opportunities are endless. If you can’t read, your options are more limited. For low-income students with low grades, the [Armed Services] is one of their options."
King said he doesn’t regret his remarks.
"[Conservative commentators] shift the discussion away from education to who’s supporting the troops. Of course, I support the troops. In this country, there’s an equating of intelligence with elitism, and elitism with being unpatriotic. But smart people love the U.S., too."
King said he just seeks to cut through the double-talk.
"Who’s for the war in Iraq and who’s not?" he said. "Who’s for better education and who’s not?"
King, who supports Barack Obama for president, readily proclaims that he opposes the war in Iraq.
"If it was up to me, none of those people would have died," he said. "Four thousand have been killed, more than in the World Trade Center. It’s not right, especially when the reasons for going to war were bogus anyway."
He understands that his remarks have offended people with ties to the military.
"Those in the military and military families are going to have their own political views and judge me according to those," he said.
Among those reacting Wednesday to the author’s remarks was U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat whom King is supporting in his U.S. Senate campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
"Tom Allen believes Mr. King used a poor choice of words," said Carol Andrews, communications director for Tom Allen for U.S. Senate.
"Tom Allen fully supports our troops and knows these brave men and women to be capable, self-sacrificing and among the best and brightest."
Andrews said the remarks would not affect a planned fundraiser for Allen by King and two other best-selling novelists — Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham. The three authors are scheduled to read from their works at a $25-per-person event on June 7 at the Bangor Auditorium.
Despite all the heat he is taking, King said Wednesday he will continue his push for better education and literacy.
"I’m not going to apologize for promoting that kids get better education in high school, so they have more options," he said. "Those that don’t agree with what I’m saying, I’m not going to change their minds."
Bangornews
Who would have guessed it, The military defending soldier authors. Go figure'
Bangor author Stephen King has found himself the target of e-mailers and phone callers for what he told high school students while stressing the importance of reading at the Library of Congress on April 4: "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."
A video of King's speech can be found at http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=9307&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No
Even as King defended his position in a telephone interview with the BDN on Wednesday, the flap over his remarks drew a response from U.S. Army spokesman Paul Boyce, who said most soldiers are avid readers and that military recruits test above the national average in reading and vocabulary skills.
"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," Boyce said.
A story about the issue in Wednesday’s Bangor Daily News also stirred considerable reader debate online at www.bangordailynews.com.
As of 6:30 p.m., users from across the country had posted more than 160 comments on the site. Nearly 5,000 people had taken an online poll on whether King should apologize for the remarks.
About 62 percent of those responding thought he should. Thirty eight percent said he should not.
A review of reader comments on the site found a roughly similar level of antipathy for King’s statements.
Among those who criticized King, Ed in Indianapolis wrote, "Stephen King is a wordsmith, thus he SHOULD Know that Words Have Meaning, and if he was not SURE that the words he was using would evoke the response that he received, and didn’t want that kind of reaction, then he SHOULD HAVE USED DIFFERENT WORDS."
Barbara of Phoenixville, Pa., added: "I have to say as a die hard King fan, hearing Mr. King use his status as a best selling author, and using a children’s forum as a platform to preach his political views, INTENTIONALLY no doubt, was pathetic."
Among supporters, Jeff of Wilbraham, Mass., wrote: "You people are taking his comments too literally."
Clint of Meeteetse, Wyo., wrote: "Stay in school... and when the recruiter calls... tell ’em that you’ll sign up as soon as Jenna Bush does."
Still others disagreed with King while defending his right to his opinion.
Rob of Midway Park, N.C., wrote: "I’m in the Marine Corps, and I firmly believe you can support the troops without supporting the war. Mr. King said what he believed. There is nothing wrong with that."
At Bangor International Airport on Wednesday, a handful of troop greeters who took offense to King’s comments removed any items related to the horror writer from their room at the terminal where the photos, books and articles are traditionally displayed. The greeters indicated the items would not be displayed again until King apologized.
The best-selling author was not issuing any apologies, however, when the BDN reached him by phone at his Sarasota, Fla., winter home on Wednesday.
Referring to right-wing blogger Noel Sheppard, who helped fan the flames of criticism this week, King said, "Guys like him take their cues from [conservative commentators Rush] Limbaugh and [Bill] O’Reilly, who are adept at shifting discussion from what they don’t want to talk about, such as the failures of the war in Iraq, to what they want to talk about — supporting the troops. Of course, we all support the troops."
In reference to King’s remarks at the Library of Congress, Sheppard wrote on his blog, "Nice sentiment when the nation is at war, Stephen."
King said Wednesday he was speaking from his experience as a reading ambassador, who has talked to at-risk students at several high schools.
"I see a lot of young people who don’t test well and don’t read particularly well," he said. "When we ask them what they’re going to do, they say go into the service. If you can read, the world is open to you, your opportunities are endless. If you can’t read, your options are more limited. For low-income students with low grades, the [Armed Services] is one of their options."
King said he doesn’t regret his remarks.
"[Conservative commentators] shift the discussion away from education to who’s supporting the troops. Of course, I support the troops. In this country, there’s an equating of intelligence with elitism, and elitism with being unpatriotic. But smart people love the U.S., too."
King said he just seeks to cut through the double-talk.
"Who’s for the war in Iraq and who’s not?" he said. "Who’s for better education and who’s not?"
King, who supports Barack Obama for president, readily proclaims that he opposes the war in Iraq.
"If it was up to me, none of those people would have died," he said. "Four thousand have been killed, more than in the World Trade Center. It’s not right, especially when the reasons for going to war were bogus anyway."
He understands that his remarks have offended people with ties to the military.
"Those in the military and military families are going to have their own political views and judge me according to those," he said.
Among those reacting Wednesday to the author’s remarks was U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat whom King is supporting in his U.S. Senate campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
"Tom Allen believes Mr. King used a poor choice of words," said Carol Andrews, communications director for Tom Allen for U.S. Senate.
"Tom Allen fully supports our troops and knows these brave men and women to be capable, self-sacrificing and among the best and brightest."
Andrews said the remarks would not affect a planned fundraiser for Allen by King and two other best-selling novelists — Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham. The three authors are scheduled to read from their works at a $25-per-person event on June 7 at the Bangor Auditorium.
Despite all the heat he is taking, King said Wednesday he will continue his push for better education and literacy.
"I’m not going to apologize for promoting that kids get better education in high school, so they have more options," he said. "Those that don’t agree with what I’m saying, I’m not going to change their minds."
Bangornews
Who would have guessed it, The military defending soldier authors. Go figure'
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