I think everyone can agree that they shouldn't have done it. Filming it just exacerbated the problem because that's what allowed it to become an international incident. People can recommend all they want, but ultimately the military will decide what to do with these knuckleheads. It's unfortunate that someone didn't take responsibility at the scene and tell them to stop.
Having said that I think that one of the points that Congressman West (he's a congressman now, not a Lt Col) was making is that it's difficult for people who have not felt what it's like to be in combat to understand what these young Marines probably were feeling that led to them doing what they did. I think everyone can agree that they are young and stupid. College kids (same age group) also engage in stupid disgusting behavior... it just doesn't create international incidents normally!
He's not excusing their behavior. He does say they were wrong. He can recommend all he wants for what the punishment should be and it carrys no more weight than if you or I made a recommendation.
I think a point that most seem to miss is that there is outrage amongst our people when our military engages in this type of behavior, but there is NO outrage amongst muslims when they do much worse to our people. It doesn't make what happened okay, but it does explain the rage that some people feel. Unlike the average American here in the states these guys were able to act on that anger. Again it doesn't make it right, it's just to bad that older and wiser heads weren't around to put a stop to it.
Having said that I think that one of the points that Congressman West (he's a congressman now, not a Lt Col) was making is that it's difficult for people who have not felt what it's like to be in combat to understand what these young Marines probably were feeling that led to them doing what they did. I think everyone can agree that they are young and stupid. College kids (same age group) also engage in stupid disgusting behavior... it just doesn't create international incidents normally!
He's not excusing their behavior. He does say they were wrong. He can recommend all he wants for what the punishment should be and it carrys no more weight than if you or I made a recommendation.
I think a point that most seem to miss is that there is outrage amongst our people when our military engages in this type of behavior, but there is NO outrage amongst muslims when they do much worse to our people. It doesn't make what happened okay, but it does explain the rage that some people feel. Unlike the average American here in the states these guys were able to act on that anger. Again it doesn't make it right, it's just to bad that older and wiser heads weren't around to put a stop to it.
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