All's Fair in Love and War
Before I start this entry: Go Socceroos!! Australia advances to the next World Cup round with a draw against Croacia!
Now. There has been quite a bit in the news lately about eight American military personnel who are accused of murdering an Iraqi man named Hashim Abrahim, planting a gun on his body, and pretending that he was an "insurgent." (Let me say first, I strongly disagree with that term. We, as in international troops, haven't been helping much with the "making order" thing.) Abrahim was physically disabled, and those who attended his funeral said that he never joined any militant group in his life. All of the news reports I've seen have censored the photos of the body. Witnesses said that Abrahim had been bound, dragged across the ground, and shot many times. The seven marines and one sailor involved in this mess face counts of premeditated murder and other capital charges. This means that if they are found guilty, they could face the death penalty.
This is what I have heard. I am not sure what to believe. What really makes me sick is that years after this war started, despite the thousands of innocent lives that have been lost and the many atrocities that have been committed, this one gets attention. With the exception of the Guantanamo Bay court-martials, this is the only issue that has gotten significant media coverage. I have to wonder about the reason it didn't go unnoticed like so many other murders have.
I have so many questions, but I can't put them into words. Except this one: Why must people kill? I understand rage, and I've had my fights. One year, my highschool nickname was "The Violent Child." But now that I've gotten older, I see the value of life. Taking another life purely for revenge degrades your own. I agree that the world would be better off without some people. But I can not in good conscience support the death penalty, or the indiscriminate killing that has characterized the last few years. Whether or not the accused are found guilty, I hope that more attention will be drawn to the horrors of war.
Abrahim's brother said that Americans do not respect the people of Iraq, and do not treat them as humans. Let me say that I am trying to stop the superiority complex that runs rampant in this country. You will hear this from me many times: Think globally, act locally. YOU, whoever you are, reading this, can help. Judge people by how they treat others. Learn as much as you can before making a decision. Respect people for who they are. Show the world that a country should NOT be characterized by the behavior of its government.
Now. There has been quite a bit in the news lately about eight American military personnel who are accused of murdering an Iraqi man named Hashim Abrahim, planting a gun on his body, and pretending that he was an "insurgent." (Let me say first, I strongly disagree with that term. We, as in international troops, haven't been helping much with the "making order" thing.) Abrahim was physically disabled, and those who attended his funeral said that he never joined any militant group in his life. All of the news reports I've seen have censored the photos of the body. Witnesses said that Abrahim had been bound, dragged across the ground, and shot many times. The seven marines and one sailor involved in this mess face counts of premeditated murder and other capital charges. This means that if they are found guilty, they could face the death penalty.
This is what I have heard. I am not sure what to believe. What really makes me sick is that years after this war started, despite the thousands of innocent lives that have been lost and the many atrocities that have been committed, this one gets attention. With the exception of the Guantanamo Bay court-martials, this is the only issue that has gotten significant media coverage. I have to wonder about the reason it didn't go unnoticed like so many other murders have.
I have so many questions, but I can't put them into words. Except this one: Why must people kill? I understand rage, and I've had my fights. One year, my highschool nickname was "The Violent Child." But now that I've gotten older, I see the value of life. Taking another life purely for revenge degrades your own. I agree that the world would be better off without some people. But I can not in good conscience support the death penalty, or the indiscriminate killing that has characterized the last few years. Whether or not the accused are found guilty, I hope that more attention will be drawn to the horrors of war.
Abrahim's brother said that Americans do not respect the people of Iraq, and do not treat them as humans. Let me say that I am trying to stop the superiority complex that runs rampant in this country. You will hear this from me many times: Think globally, act locally. YOU, whoever you are, reading this, can help. Judge people by how they treat others. Learn as much as you can before making a decision. Respect people for who they are. Show the world that a country should NOT be characterized by the behavior of its government.
posted by Mint Sharpie at 4:29 PM
2 Comments:
Very well said. We were talking about this same subject on another blog. Not mine, I never get that deep. I know that the army does thier 'training/brainwashing' bit on young minds who may or may not have the moral fortitude to do the right thing. I knew there were no weapons of mass destruction long before this war was declared. Because that is what the weapons inpectors were telling everybody. There was no evidence of weapons.
I knew Bush had it wrong before the US went in... but did Bush know he had it wrong before the US went in? See this is why I try not to get political. Then I get judgemental... *sigh
I have the "'Bush admin' wanted to test all thier new war toys" theory because war is good for big business... but that is too cruel to put into words. So forget I said it.
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