[lit-ideas] Re: Too painful to talk about?
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:54:27 -0800
When I was in boot camp, some boot went AWOL and committed some crime. I
can't recall what it was, but something very serious like murder or rape.
All the boots at MCRD were assembled and we had to stand at attention and
witness the ceremony of this fellow in full-dress uniform having all his
brass buttons cut off. There was some drumming also, slow beat, as he was
marched off the field in disgrace. There are always some who will engage in
heinous acts, but in the Marine Corps as well as the other branches of the
American armed services, such behavior is not condoned. When it is
discovered it is punished.
To imply that heinous behavior is normative in the American armed forces is
of course a lie. There are some who make such an implication, but they lie.
It isn't normative.
The only forces whose targeting of children is normative are the
paramilitary organizations called Terrorists, Islamists, Militant Islamists,
Radical Islamists, Fundamentalist Islamists. They target civilians
including children as acts of terror. And after they commit their acts of
terror there is no stripping of buttons, no drumming, and no disgrace. They
are considered great heroes it they survive and martyrs worthy of heaven if
they don't. It is not too painful to talk of what is normative for are
military and what is normative for theirs. We should do more of it.
Lawrence
_____
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Andy Amago
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 7:05 PM
To: lit-ideas
Subject: [lit-ideas] Too painful to talk about?
Why has no one mentioned that horrendous beating of the Iraqi children by
American soldiers? The mutant taped the whole thing while doing a play by
play. They filmed it, just like the prison torture. What is it about
people that they love to film themselves committing atrocities, big smiles
no less. Richard Burton was so right.
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