Did you know that members of the military are individuals of lesser "resources, breeding, or ambition"? Mande Wilkes, a former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives thinks so, publishing this at FITSNEWS.COM on Sunday:

It used to be that everybody who was anybody enlisted in the military. Nowadays, everybody who’s nobody serves – a natural consequence of incentivizing service with signing bonuses, comped education, and plush pensions. Not to mention that for those in the U.S. illegally, the incentives are that much more attractive – a respectable way to root into jobs that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible. So, what used to be a military made up of statesmen has devolved into a force comprised of men who have few alternatives but to enlist. Rather than the symbol of nobility it once was, military service has become almost a scarlet letter of sorts – signifying an individual of lesser resources, breeding, or ambition.

Wilkes' platform: " Individual liberty. Personal responsibility. Independence." And labeling our troops a inferior mongrel breed of humans. I know the Islamists say we are descendants of apes and pigs, but it doesn't have that same folksy charm coming from a Republican.

And plush pensions? Let's break out the soldier effigies!

What Ms. Wilkes - and so many others who continue to dishonor our troops - miss is how rarely our troops commit atrocities. Well over 1 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan (many serving multiple tours) over the last 10-plus years, and how many actual events have there been? The fact that we have to define atrocity down to "things done in poor taste" - like posing with dead insurgents - shows how honorable the men and women of our Armed Forces actually are.

Take two 18-year-old high school graduates: One joins the military and becomes a crew chief for a tens-of-millions-of-dollars helicopter after a few weeks of "basic" training. The other goes to college for the better part of a decade, staying on mom's health insurance until the age 26, before collecting unemployment because the $100,000 white-collar non-profit jobs are all spoken for. The only "occupying" he is likely to do involves drum circles and smearing feces on cop cars.

All military officers have college degrees. And most enlisted personnel obtain a degree while they are serving. Many more get a degree after leaving the service. Who has more "resources" or "ambition"?

Plus, the Department of Justice's own crime statistics show that a veteran is 82% less likely to commit a crime than a civilian.

Wilkes' message of calling those who have sacrificed so much in this war a bunch of mongrel nobodies would be better suited for a cave complex in Waziristan. Or in Chicago's Hyde Park, if Bill Ayers was hosting. But it is downright disturbing when a self-proclaimed "conservative" from South Carolina is bashing our troops.

If anyone deserves the "scarlet letter," it's the politicians - not the troops.

Update: This post originally stated that Wilkes was currently running for office. Wilkes is no longer running, and the post has been corrected.