The real problem here, Ms. Heard, is that we don't KNOW that these men committed this crime. You have them already tried and convicted. The outrage on Free Republic has to do with the fact that most of us here have seen this kind of bu!!$h!t smear time after time by the drive-by media, and we know that the likelihood is great that the crime never happened, or at least not as it has been characterized. Given that you are undoubtedly fair-minded, I expect to see your apology and retraction when we are proved right, as I am sure we will be.
Military personnel should act as ambassadors for their country and behave according to international rules of law and the Geneva Conventions that were drawn up as a result of atrocities committed during the Second World War. There should be a difference between real soldiers and ruthless thugs with public opinion the final arbiter.
Marines, as a group, are some of the finest citizens this country produces. Remember the line from "The Marine Corps Hymn" that talks about "to keep our honor clean"? It's their THEME song. I'm sure you've probably never heard it, or if you have, you haven't contemplated the words.
If the public, as represented by the 119 posters on the Free Republic website, condones such behaviour or seeks to excuse it, then not only is its members giving their country's soldiers a license to kill arbitrarily, they are altering the fundamental psyche of their nation.
First, you have a subject / verb agreement in the first sentence in the paragraph. That nit pick aside, the sentence itself makes no sense. How is a right wing website that has about 100,000 posters, an almost statistically insignificant portion of the American populace, changing the psyche of the American public?
In short, people who glorify soldiers who purposefully assassinate women and small children are as misguided as those who glorify the blowing up of crowded buses, trains and marketplaces.
Alright, I'm starting to get p!$$ed. How do you jump from us defending the men who are most likely being railroaded, to saying we glorify assassins? John Kerry admits to having been witness to, and having committed war crimes. He was a few thousand votes in Ohio from being President. What do you have to say about his actions?
So now two of us can say it. We do not believe it happened as reported. You cannot interpret this as condoning in any fashion. There is more than enough evidence that terrorists commit atrocities themselves to lay at the feet of our military, and this needs much further investigation. If the military authorities, after a thorough investigation, determine such crimes had in fact taken place, and convenes courts-martial, and convictions are made, then yes, we will condemn such crimes.
FReepers do not condone, nor do Marines, the deliberate gunning down of three-year-old little girls. That is why, more than anything else (where only accusations fly, and no evidence has been given), I don't believe Marines did it. Marines, almost to a man, have been angels to the little Iraqi children. Everyone knows this to the point of it becoming a stereotype of GI behavior in Iraq.
He did admit to that before he said he really didn't see or participate personally.
Would "Ginjus Kahn" have done a flip-flop of that sort?
The reason he made the original untrue claims was to bolster his anti-war activities, the same as murtha and Ms. heard.
He did admit to that before he said he really didn't see or participate personally.
Would "Ginjus Kahn" have done a flip-flop of that sort?
The reason he made the original untrue claims was to bolster his anti-war activities, the same as murtha and Ms. heard.
>>>The outrage on Free Republic has to do with the fact that most of us here have seen this kind of bu!!$h!t smear time after time by the drive-by media, and we know that the likelihood is great that the crime never happened, or at least not as it has been characterized.
Weren't the Israeli's drawn and quartered over a Palestinian sniping their own kind and the death of the child getting blamed on the Israeli military that had been in a fire fight with them at the same time?
If so, then you'd think little Ms. Blame-America-First-And-Guilty-Before-Facts-Are-In would know about this gambit.
Great comment!
Did you miss this part of Heard's article?
"Since, a US government official has described the Marines involved as suffering "a total breakdown in morality and leadership". Three commanders have already been suspended, while three perpetrators may face trial for murder.
Nine others are likely to be tried for dereliction of duty and filing a false report. Moreover, photographs taken by US Military Intelligence have emerged showing the terrible barbarity of this premeditated revenge attack."
Here's something from another report:
"Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), a retired Marine colonel, said there was clearly an attempt to cover up the incident by those involved. But he said he did not think the Marine command was slow in investigating.
"There is no question that the Marines involved, those doing the shooting, they were busy in lying about it and covering it up - there is no question about it," Kline said. "But I am confident, as soon as the command learned there might be some truth to this, they started to pursue it vigorously. I don't have any reason now to think there was any foot dragging.""
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/ la-fg-marines27may27,0,7543928.story?coll=la-home-headlines
You guys wanna go after Kline too?
These actions, which seemed to be substantiated, are a black eye to America. It is a shame and a mistake for the Administration is leaving this to the Democrats and press to condemn; even while an investigation is proceeding there should be a statement from the Administration.