Iraq: Demonstrators Support Charged Marines (via Stupid Evil Bastard)
“My son is over in Iraq right now, but I would hate to think that he would hesitate to shoot. No matter what these guys did to survive this war I just hope the can survive our justice system.
Just when you might be forgiven for thinking that maybe, just maybe, the American sheeple might be beginning to become disgusted with what is being doing on their behalf in Iraq, we are treated to these trolls demonstrating outside Camp Pendleton.
I can understand the concern that a parent would have for a child in harm’s way. But should that concern condone “whatever it takes” for that soldier to come home? Does doing “whatever it takes” mean that the life of an Iraqi civilian is inherently less valuable and worthy of concern than that of an American soldier? Are we not a country governed by the rule of law? Do we not recognize that even in the conduct of war there are behaviors and actions that are considered beyond the pale, that a civilized country governed by the rule of law cannot abide or tolerate?
I don’t want to be accused of not “supporting our troops” here, because nothing could be further from the truth. But what is it that separates us from the “terrorist” enemy we are allegedly fighting? It’s the recognition that, even in war, there are rules and laws governing it’s conduct. If American soldiers cross the line, they stain the reputation of ALL Americans in uniform.
Certainly, it’s difficult to judge what happens in a war zone from the comfort of my living room, and I would certainly never presume to do that. What does concern me, though, is the willingness of some Americans to support American soldiers no matter what sort of transgression they may have committed. I don’t know what happened in Hamdaniya, but if the accused soldiers are guilty of murdering an unarmed civilian, are those demonstrators really willing to support Americans doing “whatever it takes”? Should murder be part of the deal? And shouldn’t we want to learn the truth, rather than engaging in a whitewash simply because these are Americans, and Americans should be given a free pass, no matter what?
The preliminary hearing for eight servicemen charged with killing an unarmed Iraqi in Hamdaniya has been postponed for several weeks.
Meanwhile, many U.S. civilians are voicing support for the Marines and Navy Corpsman. Some are holding weekly demonstrations outside Camp Pendleton.
Support our troops? Certainly. But is it appropriate to be supporting American soldiers doing “whatever it takes”, even if that means murdering innocent Iraqis? Are we really so callous when it comes to the rights of non-Americans that we hold their lives to be of less value than those of American soldiers? Judging by the comments of some of the Camp Pendleton demonstrators, that would seem to be the case. To these folks, the truth, whatever it may be, hardly matters as long as their children come home.
