aka_tom_w Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Sorry for the O/T post this was so funny I thought I would share it here It probably should get locked up and sent over to the general forum but I figured more of you would get a kick out of it here first. The Best Comeback Line Ever......... Marine Corps General Reinwald was interviewed on the radio the other day and you have to read his reply to the lady who interviewed him concerning guns and children. Regardless of how you feel about gun laws you got to love this!!!! This is one of the best comeback lines of all time. It is a portion of a National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster and US Marine Corps General Reinwald who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military installation. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base? GENERAL REINWALD: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery and shooting. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it? GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children? GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm. FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers. GENERAL REINWALD: Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you? The radio went silent and the interview ended. I laughed is this old or current did it really happen? or is it another urban legend? -tom w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dog Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 I'm puttin' all my money on urban legend. And, BTW... Hi Mom! - Old Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 www.urbanlegends.com But hey, if you send that story to Microsoft, they will give you 100 dollars!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted October 2, 2002 Author Share Posted October 2, 2002 verified urban legend http://www.snopes2.com/military/reinwald.htm sorry to waste the bandwidth my appolgies best to send this one to the general forum -tom w Claim: Questioned about the wisdom of teaching Boy Scouts to use firearms, a US General points out the difference between being equipped to do something and doing it. Status: False. Example: [Collected on the Internet, 1999] This is an extract of an National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster and US Army Lieutenant General Reinwald about sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop on his military installation. Interviewer: "So, LTG Reinwald, what are you going to do with these young boys on their adventure holiday?" LTG Reinwald: "We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting." Interviewer: "Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?" LTG Reinwald: "I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range." Interviewer: "Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?" LTG Reinwald: "I don't see how, we will be teaching them proper range discipline before they even touch a firearm." Interviewer: "But you're equipping them to become violent killers." LTG Reinwald: "Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?" End of the interview Origins: As great a tale as this is, it's pure fabrication. It began life in 1999, purportedly about an "LTG Reinwald" of the US Army. In 2001 it reappeared, this time attributed to "Marine Corps General Reinwald." The U.S. Army denies that there is a Lieutenant General Reinwald and chalks the whole thing up as a hoax. (Which is as logic dictated all along; if an armed forces spokesperson ever gave voice to a sexist remark likening a female interviewer to a prostitute, that officer would soon be called upon to make a very public apology as well as face charges within ranks for conduct unbecoming.) National Public Radio had this to say about the matter: We are aware of an erroneous story posted on the Free Republic Website, and possibly elsewhere, which mentions a supposed interview between an unnamed NPR reporter and a U.S Army Lieutenant General Reinwald. The story is false -- the dialogue mentioned was not an NPR interview, and it never aired on any NPR program. Those who like their guns and who believe responsible gun ownership begins with teaching young people the right way to handle firearms at an early age have a great fondness for this story. As well they should, because this anecdote illustrates in a humorous way the difference between having the ability to do something and that ability dictating life choices. The "Reinwald" story existed as a joke as far back as October 1997 when it appeared on a number of web pages in the following form: Excerpt from a recent live radio interview on one of the regional Welsh stations: A female newscaster is interviewing the leader of a Youth club: Interviewer: So, Mr. Jones, what are you going to do with these children on this adventure holiday? Mr Jones: We're going to teach them climbing, abseiling, canoeing, archery, shooting... Interviewer: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible isn't it? Jones: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range. Interviewer: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children? Jones: I don't see how, we will be teaching them proper range discipline before they even touch a firearm. Interviewer: But you're equipping them to become violent killers. Jones: Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute but you're not one are you? Needless to say, the interview was terminated almost immediately. Notice the differences that have taken place between the two tellings: "Abseiling" has been taken out of the Americanized version (probably because whoever altered the text didn't know it was a rock climbing term meaning rappelling down rock faces). A Welsh youth club leader called Mr. Jones has been transformed in a named Lieutenant General in the American army. Welsh children (presumably boys and girls) have become American Boy Scouts. A regional Welsh radio station has become the National Public Radio in the United States. If there's still any doubt someone took a joke set in Wales and changed details to Americanize it, look to the Reinwald version given in the example. Although the term "adventure holiday" is common in Britain, one would never hear it used in North America. Looks like whoever altered the text missed that one. No anecdote is so good that it cannot be improved upon, and that appears to be what happened here. To give the story its proper "oomph," having the telling remark issue from a mere youth club leader wouldn't do. But make the man with the snappy comeback a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army, and the story becomes ever so much more tellable. The key element of the Reinwald legend has appeared in other tales. Observe the form it took in this story, which was told as a joke, not as an event that actually happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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