A US Marine fighting in Fallujah has killed another insurgent who was pretending to be dead. You probably haven’t heard about this episode, however, because this insurgent turned out to be armed and opened fire on the Marines. You can read a brief snippet about the incident on this Australian ABC News Online site. Does it seem odd to anyone else that you can’t seem to find this story anywhere else? Oh, for instance, like CBS, NBC, ABC… The first was a major story, yet this gets no attention at all. Seems odd to me.
Now, about the incident in the mosque a week ago… In case you haven’t seen it, the journalist who shot the video has posted a detailed accounting of the event on his blog. He’s careful not to pass judgment on the Marine, but he does paint a decidedly odd scene. Be sure to read it. By the way, did you know that this Marine had been injured earlier in the day by shrapnel from a grenade? Or had you heard that another Marine had been killed a few days earlier by a booby-trapped body of another insurgent playing dead? This incident, as described by the man filming it, certainly leads you to question either the motives or the thought processes of the Marine, but I think we must take into account his perspective. And his perspective, I shouldn’t need to remind you, is vastly different than yours or mine.
But that’s just my perspective.
That is the point I tried to make as well. I don’t begrudge the journalist for doing his job. But the way it was handled left the impression of wrongdoing on the Marine’s part. What is missing from that report is context.To use an analogy, language is much more than a series of words strung together to form sentences. There is emphasis, inflection, subjectiveness, perspective, context. I can make a declaration which may be true in every way but say it in such a way as to illicit a particular response. Did I speak the truth? Yes, but obviously there is more to it than that.
I agree with Len and you. I think that the reporter was doing his job, but my concern is the media and liberal feeding frenzy that happened shortly after. As I been arguing with all those who would damn the Marine is that:The Constitution needs to be applied to those that would defend it.Thanks for linking to me, I appreciate it.Yours,Kev
Hey, I just found your blog via BE and felt I had to comment. I am a soldier in Iraq and I can relate to the story. The media’s coverage of the war makes soldiers and marines second guess their instincts. 99.9% of the time you can tell when someone is up to no good. For example, a few weeks ago a man with a shaved head (Iraqis don’t usually shave their heads unless they plan to blow themseleves up) he was driving alone and the shocks on his vehicle were screaming in pain, a sure sign it was packed with explosives. We were passing this car on the convoy and 2 gunners did not fire at this car. The 3rd guy did realize and opened fire causing the car to crash into a palm tree. Turns out the car was packed with explosives in the doors and trunk. We talked about it after and the first 2 gunners who did nothing said they thought it was strange but were afraid to fire and and find out that he was innocent and them getting 30 years. I don’t like the job I have to do, but I have to do it and I don’t want someone with a camera telling me how I should do my job. This is a war and people die in wars. On both sides. Just live with it. Oh yeah check out my blog too. I just had to give myself a plug :). Later.