A Few Good Men
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Two groups have convicted the Marines of Haditha without the benefit of a trial. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., leads one group. His group knows combat, but he wasn’t in Haditha and has attacked the Marines for political reasons. In his hatred for George Bush and his party’s constant search for ammunition against the war in Iraq, he has branded the Marines as cold blooded killers. They deserve their day in court without being attacked by Murtha.
Of the two groups, the first group disturbs me the most. John Murtha knew that the Marine Corps was investigating the incident. We would be better served if it could have been done without the damaging worldwide advertising campaign that Murtha has conducted. He has also damaged the individual Marine’s ability to get a fair trial. He should stop his anti-Bush campaign short of giving aid and comfort to the enemy, but he won’t. He should be more thoughtful, but he can’t. He should be ashamed, but he isn’t.
The second group is made up of pacifists, pundits, activists, and liberal media who have never served in combat. It would be nice to sit in a Starbucks, with a latte and say with certainty and righteous indignation: “If I had been there, I would not have done what they did.” I wish I could know with certainty that I would have done it differently. It would be so wonderful to have the comfort, the peace of mind, and the perspective to judge. I can’t. I know war and what it does to you. I know that anything can happen in the noise, smoke, heat, fear, and confusion of combat. I am grateful that I didn’t have to face a house-to-house situation like the Marines did. I can only imagine what I would have done.
I am amazed by those who don’t know combat, who condemn the Marines from their assumed moral high ground. They have such clarity, such confidence, such purity. Still, I wonder. Late at night, when it’s dark and quiet and they have only their thoughts, do they thank God, or simple good fortune, that others are putting their lives on the line? Are they secretly glad that there are those standing on the wall for them, going through hell, while they curse them for what they do? Do they imagine themselves fighting a better, cleaner, more humane war than our troops? Do they envision themselves following an insurgent or terrorist to a house and, rather than rolling a grenade in the door, ringing the doorbell?
I have been thinking a lot about the words of Colonel Jessep in “A Few Good Men.” I wish he was real and that he could grab some Americans by the shoulders, shake them and tell them:
“You can't handle the truth! We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. My existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty... We use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to someone who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!”
Sleep well tonight. Enjoy your Pinot Noir. Relax in the hot tub. Try not to be too upset that you can’t be over there, doing it right. Don’t let it worry you that you aren’t protecting our country. Others are dying to do it for you.
Terry M. Sater
Eureka, Mo.
chronwatch.com |
