You are angry at the news media for reporting what witnesses -- Iraqi and Marine -- tell them and what military investigators leak to them. You have nothing to say about killing children.
I'm not angry at them for reporting it. It needs to be reported.
I'm angry at them for wallowing in it. For trying to make it overshadow everything else going on in Iraq. For ignoring the myriad atrocities committed by our enemies in favor of one possible atrocity committed by our troops.
There is no "more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger" attitude.
As well as many on the left.
Why else the loss of readership by newspapers n leftist cities like NYC and LA, and loss of viewership by tv news, and the failure of Air-America radio?
Interesting how after all these years of the filthy behaviour of the press and activists, I am now starting to hear people regarding them as lower than the terrorists.
If something did happen, emphasis on the *if*, then clearly parts of the USCMJ were broken and courts martial are in order.
But doesn't that just illustrate the difference between us and them.
We investigate the report, apply due process of law if charges are preferred and if found guilty the miscreants go to Levensworth.
The insurgents on the other hand just pull you out of the car, torture you then just kill you. No accountability to anyone but themselves for their actions.
To me, that is a lesson even of itself.
The investigation needs to run its course without the glare of the press upon it. A watchful eye certainly. But not the circus that it is now.
There's another aspect to all of this that is worth considering. It's always assumed that women and children are, by default, innocent, but the sad fact is that they often do not act innocently in times of war. My husband was involved in the Bosnian conflict, and he said that in every city women, and particularly children, were involved in the war. When women and/or children engage you -- either through direct or indirect action -- they become enemy combatants and you have a duty to deal with them with deadly force.
Is there any evidence that this was the case in Haditha? Seems so. Michelle Malkin excerpts an interview with a Marine who claims that children were doing some scouting for the insurgents, and there is also apparently video of children lobbing grenades at our troops. In such cases, troops are justified in killing them. This doesn't rule out the possibility that some of the Marines acted wrongly, and should therefore be dealt with harshly, but they deserve the benefit of the doubt until all evidence is considered.
I, too, am sick to death of media gloating and wallowing.
P.S. Kevin, have you considered sending your idea to Cox & Forkum? They have done cartoons based on reader suggestions in the past.
I'm anticipating a distinct backlash against the anti-American press.
I've no idea what form or severity it will take, but I do see it coming. And as long as it is from a free populace, and not the feddle gubbmint, I'm all for it.
And frankly, it cannot happen too soon to suit me.
Well, if Laney thinks anyone actually supports killing children I wish he would have the spine to say it outright.
His transparent mudslinging aside, I might suggest he take another look at the presumtion of innocents we have in this country.
Its obvious that this is being investigated through the appropriate channels, but it seems those with a political stake in this would rather the President Flagellate the armed forces in a time of war than investiagte the truth. I suspect this is some of that much vaunted "nuance" the left is always preaching about.
There is a good comment on PC Watch for June 1st under the title "THE INCORRECTNESS OF THE MILITARY"(website here http://pcwatch.blogspot.com/)which I entirely agree with.
When are the shit for brains lefties going to realise that the nicities of the courtroom have no place on the battlefield. The actions taken in the heat of battle may not be the actions fat lawyers in a courtroom (who have never been near a shooting match than their TV's) would take in retrospect.
Likewise I agree that a "civilian" dressed in ordinary street clothes shooting at a soldier who is killed or wounded and whose rifle is retrieved by a child is "innocent" when the reporters arrive hours later protected by the very soldiers they are shafting.
Dump the lot in the middle of Baghad and let them write about THAT.
Couldn't agree with you more, Kevin; the press has convicted the Marines already, blaring their alleged crimes across the world- meanwhile we barely hear of the 2 year old child killed by a mortar attack on a marketplace in Baghdad. That is relegated to nothing more than a footnote.
The crimes of our enemies- militants, never terrorists- are barely mentioned, but the allegtions against our own troops are trumpeted to all and sundry before the facts are even established.
We have all been informed about what the press thinks happened at Haditha, but we aren't even told if that 2 year old was a boy or a girl. I bet if that kid had been killed by an American soldier and not a terrorist, we'd not only know it's sex but also it's life history.
Note:
All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost;
references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>
JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2006/05/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-draw.html (13 comments)
Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.
Ever wonder why we all know the Names Abu Ghraib, or now Haditha , better than the last 3 Medal of Honor winners?
You are angry at the news media for reporting what witnesses -- Iraqi and Marine -- tell them and what military investigators leak to them. You have nothing to say about killing children.
I'm not angry at them for reporting it. It needs to be reported.
I'm angry at them for wallowing in it. For trying to make it overshadow everything else going on in Iraq. For ignoring the myriad atrocities committed by our enemies in favor of one possible atrocity committed by our troops.
There is no "more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger" attitude.
It's "GOTCHA!!"
I'm sick and fucking tired of "GOTCHA!!"
"Right wing propaganda machine." Haha, that's richer than Lee Raymond...
And Kevin, all of us right-thinking people are sick and tired of it.
Not just right thinking people.
We up-thinking people are also.
As well as many on the left.
Why else the loss of readership by newspapers n leftist cities like NYC and LA, and loss of viewership by tv news, and the failure of Air-America radio?
Even leftists are getting sick of it.
Interesting how after all these years of the filthy behaviour of the press and activists, I am now starting to hear people regarding them as lower than the terrorists.
Not a good sign...
I'm glad you clarified your position Kevin.
If something did happen, emphasis on the *if*, then clearly parts of the USCMJ were broken and courts martial are in order.
But doesn't that just illustrate the difference between us and them.
We investigate the report, apply due process of law if charges are preferred and if found guilty the miscreants go to Levensworth.
The insurgents on the other hand just pull you out of the car, torture you then just kill you. No accountability to anyone but themselves for their actions.
To me, that is a lesson even of itself.
The investigation needs to run its course without the glare of the press upon it. A watchful eye certainly. But not the circus that it is now.
There's another aspect to all of this that is worth considering. It's always assumed that women and children are, by default, innocent, but the sad fact is that they often do not act innocently in times of war. My husband was involved in the Bosnian conflict, and he said that in every city women, and particularly children, were involved in the war. When women and/or children engage you -- either through direct or indirect action -- they become enemy combatants and you have a duty to deal with them with deadly force.
Is there any evidence that this was the case in Haditha? Seems so. Michelle Malkin excerpts an interview with a Marine who claims that children were doing some scouting for the insurgents, and there is also apparently video of children lobbing grenades at our troops. In such cases, troops are justified in killing them. This doesn't rule out the possibility that some of the Marines acted wrongly, and should therefore be dealt with harshly, but they deserve the benefit of the doubt until all evidence is considered.
I, too, am sick to death of media gloating and wallowing.
P.S. Kevin, have you considered sending your idea to Cox & Forkum? They have done cartoons based on reader suggestions in the past.
I'm anticipating a distinct backlash against the anti-American press.
I've no idea what form or severity it will take, but I do see it coming. And as long as it is from a free populace, and not the feddle gubbmint, I'm all for it.
And frankly, it cannot happen too soon to suit me.
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
**sarcasm alert**
Wait, you mean to tell me that some of you still watch TV news? Or read a newspaper?
Amazing...
Well, if Laney thinks anyone actually supports killing children I wish he would have the spine to say it outright.
His transparent mudslinging aside, I might suggest he take another look at the presumtion of innocents we have in this country.
Its obvious that this is being investigated through the appropriate channels, but it seems those with a political stake in this would rather the President Flagellate the armed forces in a time of war than investiagte the truth. I suspect this is some of that much vaunted "nuance" the left is always preaching about.
There is a good comment on PC Watch for June 1st under the title "THE INCORRECTNESS OF THE MILITARY"(website here http://pcwatch.blogspot.com/)which I entirely agree with.
When are the shit for brains lefties going to realise that the nicities of the courtroom have no place on the battlefield. The actions taken in the heat of battle may not be the actions fat lawyers in a courtroom (who have never been near a shooting match than their TV's) would take in retrospect.
Likewise I agree that a "civilian" dressed in ordinary street clothes shooting at a soldier who is killed or wounded and whose rifle is retrieved by a child is "innocent" when the reporters arrive hours later protected by the very soldiers they are shafting.
Dump the lot in the middle of Baghad and let them write about THAT.
Couldn't agree with you more, Kevin; the press has convicted the Marines already, blaring their alleged crimes across the world- meanwhile we barely hear of the 2 year old child killed by a mortar attack on a marketplace in Baghdad. That is relegated to nothing more than a footnote.
The crimes of our enemies- militants, never terrorists- are barely mentioned, but the allegtions against our own troops are trumpeted to all and sundry before the facts are even established.
We have all been informed about what the press thinks happened at Haditha, but we aren't even told if that 2 year old was a boy or a girl. I bet if that kid had been killed by an American soldier and not a terrorist, we'd not only know it's sex but also it's life history.
Note: All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost; references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>