- Jun 6, 2007
- 852
- 483
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It is an alarming and worldwide embarrassment for the U.S. military criminal justice system if this Sergeant Robert Bales doesn't get a capital sentence for his 2013 killing of sixteen villagers in Afghanistan. At the time of the crime it was well reported what he did he went into a village and killed innocent villagers nine of the victims children and then he dragged the dead victims bodies to a specific location and piled them on top of each other and lit one of the piles on fire. It was surreal hearing about it was like watching the movie Platoon when Charlie Sheen's unit went into a Vietnam village and just shot to death innocent villagers. Mr. Bales actions were not defensible as a soldier or as a civilized human being he acted like a complete savage. If the military doesn't give Mr. Bales the death penalty over this the threat of the death penalty for soldiers in combat is meaningless it is discarding an important tool to keep soldiers anger in check in a battle zone.
Mr. Bales should get the death penalty because of the American people's obligation to the victims families and any other potential future victims familes at the hand of our military. These people need to know that the American people will get justice for them they and their countrymen need to know that we are not a people that just talks about human rights but our court systems fully protect it. Further, the great reputation of the U.S. military is at stake here the U.S. military has a reputation that they always conduct themselves like soldiers allowing this incident where a U.S. soldier acted like a savage like a murderer and not come down with the full force of law is a huge and long lasting sullying of the U.S. military's reputation. I know military leaders want to show mercy because it was a crime committed in a war zone where there is enormous stress on soldiers but the crimes committed are too compelling mercy and compassion cannot obstruct deserved justice here. I know that U.S. military leadership is probably angry at Afghanistan leaders for letting prisoners go turned over to them by the U.S. military where some of these prisoners killed U.S. soldiers and this is application of the same standard of sort. But that isn't right the U.S. criminal justice system has a duty to the victims families here we promised the victims families that they would get justice and they are not if Mr. Bales only gets a life sentence. Any claims that Mr. Bales should escape the full force of the law because he was mentally ill at the time doesn't cut it he had enough mental capacity to be held legally culpable. At the time he had the mental wherewithal to destroy evidence by buring the victims bodies and by sneaking back into the camp after he committed the crimes.
The General that approved this plea deal isn't doing his duty to justice, to the victims and to the reputation of the U.S. military. Secretary Hagel or a more Senior General should override this approval of the plea deal. The Judge in this case should not accept this plea deal the facts are too heinous the facts here yell at the top of their lungs and demand the death penalty in this case and probably so do a large portion of the American people!
Mr. Bales should get the death penalty because of the American people's obligation to the victims families and any other potential future victims familes at the hand of our military. These people need to know that the American people will get justice for them they and their countrymen need to know that we are not a people that just talks about human rights but our court systems fully protect it. Further, the great reputation of the U.S. military is at stake here the U.S. military has a reputation that they always conduct themselves like soldiers allowing this incident where a U.S. soldier acted like a savage like a murderer and not come down with the full force of law is a huge and long lasting sullying of the U.S. military's reputation. I know military leaders want to show mercy because it was a crime committed in a war zone where there is enormous stress on soldiers but the crimes committed are too compelling mercy and compassion cannot obstruct deserved justice here. I know that U.S. military leadership is probably angry at Afghanistan leaders for letting prisoners go turned over to them by the U.S. military where some of these prisoners killed U.S. soldiers and this is application of the same standard of sort. But that isn't right the U.S. criminal justice system has a duty to the victims families here we promised the victims families that they would get justice and they are not if Mr. Bales only gets a life sentence. Any claims that Mr. Bales should escape the full force of the law because he was mentally ill at the time doesn't cut it he had enough mental capacity to be held legally culpable. At the time he had the mental wherewithal to destroy evidence by buring the victims bodies and by sneaking back into the camp after he committed the crimes.
The General that approved this plea deal isn't doing his duty to justice, to the victims and to the reputation of the U.S. military. Secretary Hagel or a more Senior General should override this approval of the plea deal. The Judge in this case should not accept this plea deal the facts are too heinous the facts here yell at the top of their lungs and demand the death penalty in this case and probably so do a large portion of the American people!
