Give them a break

Let me start by saying that if the killings in Haditha are truly what they appear to be on the surface, then this is an unfortunate and sad thing.

I do not condone the killing of civilians in a war effort, unless those civilians, regardless of sex or age, are in any way supporting the enemy. In my mind, that makes them the enemy. Were any of these people aiding the enemy? I don’t know, and neither does anyone else.

If not, then they should not have been gunned down the way they were, and those responsible should be punished. Period.

But the fact of the matter is, we don’t know if any of these people were truly innocent. Sure, they were not in uniform, they were not part of an army, but does anyone over there who kills American soldiers fit this description? No.

My suggestion would be to give our troops the benefit of the doubt. Investigate? Yes. Punish those found to be in the wrong? Yes. But don’t convict until we know the facts. And don’t judge these young men unless you’ve experienced what they’ve experienced. It’s easy to condemn from an easy chair, but spend one day in their shoes and you’ll see how fast your attitude changes.

As for the media, I don’t think they’re entitled to as much information as they’ve been given. We already know what they do with ANY anti-military rhetoric…it becomes fact and is used against America to hinder the war effort. Personally, I think the military leadership should issue one simple statement… "An unfortunate series of events occurred in Habitha, like many other events that occur during war. It is being investigated and anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will be punished." That’s it. That’s all we need to know.

For those of you who object to this, let me remind you of something. WE ARE AT WAR! I know it’s hard for the progressives to admit that, but it’s the truth. We are at war! Say it. Repeat it. We are at war. Keep saying it until it sinks in. We are at war. And for those who don’t know, war is not about tea parties, group hugs and therapy sessions.

War is a terrible thing in which terrible things happen. People die and many times those people are innocent. Things get destroyed. Suffering occurs. That’s what makes war so terrible and is why we avoid it whenever possible. So don’t act surprised when something terrible happens during a war. We do what we can to minimize those terrible things but we will never eliminate them.

It’s easy to forget while we drive to work in our SUV and pick the kids up at soccer practice. It’s easy to forget that we are at war. So keep repeating it. We are at war. Maybe someday you’ll realize the truth and won’t gasp so hard the next time someone dies in Iraq. It’s not our fault these extremist nut cases started causing trouble over there. We didn’t ask for this. So don’t blame America for being evil and insensitive.

And don’t blame our troops for being human, even if their enemy is not. Sure, they are professionals, but they’re also kids. They’re kids under a lot of stress, fighting and dying for our freedom, to protect us from evil and to secure the rights of a civilization who couldn’t care less about them. Give them justice, demand better from them, but also…give them a break.

For those of you who believe, I ask that you remember these soldiers in your prayers. They’re going through a lot, and as the investigation continues so will their strain.