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May 8, 2004 Well, it's finally time that I chimed in on the latest outrage that has smeared itself all over the media lately. As much as I'd like it to be about the final Friends episode, it's unfortunately about the abuse of Iraqi war criminals. Let me begin by saying that what those Americans did to those men was despicable. It was horrible. Nasty. Disgusting. The abuse and sadistic treatment of any other human being should be reviled. As civilized people we should be sickened by what has occurred. Unfortunately, we have the slanted view of judging all of this in our nice quiet, clean livingrooms where we sit in air conditioned peace. When I say slanted, I mean that in the same way that those who complain about how we bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki are viewing a mind set, an act that occurred during a war almost sixty years ago with a modern, calm and clean twentyfirst century view point. Can we really judge those who burned witches in the seventeenth century, even though we know now that there are no such things as witches. Can we judge those in the Donner Party for what they did? Yet, I sat and watched a long line of stuffed shirts do exactly that. Judge what happens in war as -gasp- ugly. For those liberal readers out there, let me give you a little refresher on what happens in war. It is the most ugly, horrid, brutal thing that you should never imagine. People die. Every damn day, people die. There are people who kill each other day in and day out, constantly doing harm to fellow human beings simply because they grew up differently and believe in something other than what we believe in. Nothing is pretty in war. There is no John Wayne, no happy ending after two hours. It goes on and on to the point where you want to scream. Any "normal" "civilized" person would. And yet, you have people, kids, who volunteer to enter this kind of living hell and to do it not for money, fame, or ratings, but for their country. So we at home can be safe and civilized and clean. And sometimes these poor kids, who have had to put up with the garbage that is spewing out of their own country, do wrong. What is shocking is not that it has happened, but that there are people out there who think that this is the first time that this has ever happened. Let me clue you in folks, this type of behavior has be happening since war has been happening. Want to know something else, even more shocking? It is going to happen again. Maybe not by our troops but by someone, again. Maybe it'll be Americans, who are strung up on some bridge and are burned to death and decapitated and their heads used as soccer balls...oops... that already happened. I can appreciate the higher standard that is placed on those who serve their country in uniform, what I'd like to see though, is the same high standard apply to those who send those troops in harms way. Let's not forget what has happened here. Lets punish those who did wrong. But at the same time, temper that punishment and still welcome our sons and daughters home with open arms and open hearts. As one of those people who has stayed safe and sound, and has had their family safe and healthy due in large part to those who have served, it is the least we can do. ------------ About the author: Mike Russell is a Ninja/fighter pilot/ astronaut with x-ray vision who likes to make up stuff about the author when his wife isn't looking. Email Michael F Russell: mikerussellus@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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