As Tim Graham reported here earlier this week, NBC reporter Richard Engel, who spends much of his time in Iraq, has declared: "I think war should be illegal...I'm basically a pacifist."Posted on 10/28/2006 5:19:35 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
As Tim Graham reported here earlier this week, NBC reporter Richard Engel, who spends much of his time in Iraq, has declared: "I think war should be illegal...I'm basically a pacifist."
This morning's 'Today' ran a feature Engel had put together focusing on depression among American troops serving in Iraq. Engel spoke with men of the 1st Platoon, 562nd Engineer Company. At one point, Engel asked the soldier pictured here:
"You ever worry one day your number's gonna come up?'"
Replied the soldier, in words echoing those of comrades over the generations: "Yeah, but you try to keep that in the back of your head. You just focus on today and what you've got to do to get it right and bring everybody back home alive."
Later, Engel drew the soldiers out about their fears of the possible unfaithfulness of their women back home. Engel: "They tell us about an enemy the soldiers here all fear but don't talk about: the Jody."
As the second soldier pictured explained: "the Jody is the guy who is back home with your wife or your girlfriend."
Continued Engel: "They worry and tell stories about soldiers going home to empty houses."
Engel would presumably defend his segment as reporting on the reality the soldiers face. But given what we now know about Engel's personal views, I found something troubling in the way he drew them out about their deepest concerns.
...Oh, yes, I forgot...the enemy can always just send their propaganda video tape to CNN to broadcast as NEWS.
Soldier's aren't emotionally fragile objects. If this clown had come to my team, he would have gotten responses like these:
"Ever Worry One Day Your Number's Gonna Come Up?"
- "I'd worry about your own ass, son. We're the ones who know what we're doing."
"Ever worry about your girl being unfaithful."
- "Next time I'm in the States, I'll ask your old lady. With a squirrly husband like you, I'm sure she'd like a visit from a real man. Although, since you're gone so much, she's probably already checked that box. She's probably at a 'home game' with the New York Knicks right now, know what I'm sayin'."
Most Army units could have a guy like this in tears, if they wanted to. He must be conspiciously avoiding anyone who's going to put him in his place.
This is not so bad...at least the GI's had a chance to give their views. Tough questions are better than the reporter who uses "experts," whom we later learn are actually rabid partisans pushing an agenda.
Men, in harms way will always think of that because it's always there. You have to face it, it takes a couple of good, hard, nasty battles before you get a hold of it, but it's still there. You write every letter like it's your last, and you live every moment like it's your last. Death is right beside you, waiting. But, you reach down in your soul and you live, and fight, cause that's what you are made of, that's what you are trained for. Those moments prove that you are an American, willing to fight and die for your country, and the illusive dream of freedom.
When it's done, and you stand as a battle hardened American with the will to stay free you will thank the dear Lord in Heaven for the freedom you have. Let this wussie "journalist" try to separate bad from good, I've already done that.
Should be illegal? So should rain and disease and bad hair days, tra-la-la, let's all skip off to happy land where there's no bad people...
Beautifully put, IMHO.
Don't be silly, SJS. Tokyo Ro.. err I mean this reporter is morally pure and soooo much better than all the rest of us and I'm sure he'd NEVER send icky old soooldiers.
He'd send a battalion of ACLU lawyers to reason with them--which would almost certainly work--but if it failed, they could serve the enemy armies with subpoenas.
Actually that sounds like a really GOOD idea to me, particularly if he could get ALL the ACLU lawyers to go face off unencumbered by our armed military against the enemy.
NBC = POS
I guess my question to this toad would be something like, "given how you feel about war -- and warriors -- why should any of these guys risk their lives to rescue your miserable hide when the bad guys are about to cut your throat?" And he probably won't see any irony at all in answering that "it's their job," or some such...
Correct reply: "Do you?"
God bless them. I gotta go, I got something in my eye.
Do you ever think that GW Bush and the Republicans are going to get you killed for nothing?
Good one!
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