Why am I proud
cross-posted from my comments on loosestring's journal:
Yes those people at Abu Ghraib behaved deplorably and they will come under judgment for what they have done. But this doesn't mean that we should disparage those of our troops that are performing their duties with the honor, integrity and valor. Just because a great injustice has been done, it doesn't mean that our mission is any less just. Remember that Saddam and his sons would kill people for political gain and torture people for sport.
As sickening as the photos are, we should not stereotype and overgeneralize and say our own soldiers are treating others like garbage. The "bad apples" are few, but they definitely need to be weeded out. As much as I am disgusted by those who perpetrated this heinous and cruel abuse, am I that much more proud of the brave and honorable soldiers that are standing in the gap and laying their lives on the line.
The problem is that war is so unreal to many people. Soldiers are not pawns in some video game. They are real people... someone's father, mother, bother, sister, husband, wife or lover...they are ached for, cried for and prayed for on a daily basis... they are missed by their friends and family... often times their brothers and sister in arms are not the only set of co-workers, many are reservists that are setting aside their careers for the time being and dedicating themselves to preserving the freedom and peace that we enjoy.
They are the ones that make sure that those that mean us harm do not have safe place to rest their heads at night. It is their job to ensure that the evildoers remain in constant fear for their own lives that they haven't the time nor inclination to worry about taking ours.
This is what soldiers do. A true soldiers heart is faithful, even unto death to the cause of freedom... and this is why I am so proud
Yes those people at Abu Ghraib behaved deplorably and they will come under judgment for what they have done. But this doesn't mean that we should disparage those of our troops that are performing their duties with the honor, integrity and valor. Just because a great injustice has been done, it doesn't mean that our mission is any less just. Remember that Saddam and his sons would kill people for political gain and torture people for sport.
As sickening as the photos are, we should not stereotype and overgeneralize and say our own soldiers are treating others like garbage. The "bad apples" are few, but they definitely need to be weeded out. As much as I am disgusted by those who perpetrated this heinous and cruel abuse, am I that much more proud of the brave and honorable soldiers that are standing in the gap and laying their lives on the line.
The problem is that war is so unreal to many people. Soldiers are not pawns in some video game. They are real people... someone's father, mother, bother, sister, husband, wife or lover...they are ached for, cried for and prayed for on a daily basis... they are missed by their friends and family... often times their brothers and sister in arms are not the only set of co-workers, many are reservists that are setting aside their careers for the time being and dedicating themselves to preserving the freedom and peace that we enjoy.
They are the ones that make sure that those that mean us harm do not have safe place to rest their heads at night. It is their job to ensure that the evildoers remain in constant fear for their own lives that they haven't the time nor inclination to worry about taking ours.
This is what soldiers do. A true soldiers heart is faithful, even unto death to the cause of freedom... and this is why I am so proud