I find it interesting to read your perspectives and experiences because to be honest, I often don't know what to think..as a teacher, I don't want my students to join due to my perception of incompetence from the higher levels in Washington. I am also concerned about the story of the rape and murder of the Iraqi woman the subsequent murder of her family by US soldiers. I'm sure this pains you and you are afraid it taints you all, even though just a few are responsible, but how did these types of individuals get into the armed services in the first place?......You see, I think that I have students who don't have a really well formed sense of right and wrong..they had neglectful parenting, yet recruiters try to recruit them and I just think you don't want those types of kids because they could do what those soldiers did...I'm sorry but this just so deeply disturbs me and I know you maybe feel that I am only focusing on certain incidents but it is hard not to.. Should we really invade sovereign nations who have done nothing to us? I think war can make people immoral and especially if they don't understand that some people don't want to be liberated or want demorcracy because their countries are to theocratic for Western-style democracy. But yet I know many soldiers sign up for mulitple tours of duty so they must feel committed to the mission but sitting at home hearing about this poor girl who was stalked for a week, raped and murdered, I just think: Where is the sympathy for these people? It takes a lot to actually want to hurt someone in a non-defensive way...I just don't know if we are the good guys anymore............I will continue to read soldiers blogs and hope I have not brought you down and I hope you come home soon. And take care of yourself and don't lose your sense of compassion no matter what..it's what keeps us all human.

Barbara

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Patti's Response:
Most people would look for evidence before condemning.
I do not believe anyone was raped, except maybe the American people, being raped by their arm chair quarter-backing. I believe this is another insurgent trick to harm public opinion.

Both my sons are proud Army Men and they certainly do not rape. They do not like war,
but ask yourself who stands in between you and a Burka. It is my children and the children of many who stand for freedom, do they want to go to war, HELL NO! Is it their job to defend us HELL YES! These precious men and women are doing a job, a job they are ORDERED to do, your support would be admirable.

I appreciate your comments, I hope you can appreciate mine.
Patti Patton-Bader

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My Response:
Barbara,
For starters, let me just clarify that I am not military; I'm a civilian...fortunately. That allows me the freedom to say just about anything here. The military imposes restraint upon the responses of its personnel, which is sometimes unfortunate. They don't always get to respond to slurs when they hear them. It's why we should feel responsibility to speak for them.

You said you're deeply disturbed - I'm deeply disturbed, too - first and foremost by the fact that an educator of our children is accepting as fact something that has yet to be fully investigated, just because it's what's in the paper or on TV. As far as the rape allegations go, no one has been convicted. It is often the case that what the news reports and what the facts are turn out to be two different things.

Case in point:

Title: COALITION CORRECTS RECORD
Release Date: 7/2/2006
Release Number: 06-07-02PF
Description: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / July 2, 2006 / Release # 060702-04

Coalition corrects record on reported civilian casualties in Kunar

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – News reports published June 30 that claimed Coalition forces fired rockets in Watapur, Pech District, Kunar Province , allegedly killing a school headmaster and injuring two others are false.

The three individuals noted in news articles are, in fact, Taliban extremists responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces.

A Coalition patrol was attacked by three extremists on a road in the Pech District on June 29. Coalition forces responded with small arms and mortar fire, all positively observed by Coalition forces. The three extremists fled in a blue Hilux truck.

Later, a blue Hilux truck was reported to have delivered three males with gunshot wounds to the Asadabad hospital. One extremist died of his wounds. The other two were taken into custody by Coalition forces and are being treated for their wounds in a Coalition hospital.

The deceased was identified as Sayeed Alam, the nephew of a known Taliban commander in the Pech valley and is also known to be a member of an IED cell. The wounded were also identified as known Taliban extremists. Their names are not being released for security reasons.

“These three men were without a doubt Taliban extremists and not innocent civilians,” said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force-76 spokesman.

“Coalition forces make every effort to protect Afghan civilians and limit the possibility of civilian casualties. The Coalition is improving the lives of Afghan people through reconstruction projects and civil and medical assistance visits to villages.

The Taliban’s only purpose is to stop progress and instill fear and intimidation.”

(The above release is here)

And the media and Murtha-spread story of Haditha, being accepted as fact by those who jump at every chance to criticize the troops, doesn't look like its panning out to be the slam-dunk Murtha claimed it was. In fact, there are some serious inconsistencies in what he claimed was an absolute case of murder.

Now you're acting as if this story has been proven to be absolute truth. I sincerely hope that if you are ever accused of a crime, you are given the presumption of innocence that you deserve as a U.S. citizen, but are quick to deny to the very people who ensure that you have it.

Let me tackle a few of your other remarks:

I'm sure this pains you and you are afraid it taints you all, even though just a few are responsible, but how did these types of individuals get into the armed services in the first place?......They might not have that sort of concern if people like you didn't keep implying that they should.

You see, I think that I have students who don't have a really well formed sense of right and wrong..they had neglectful parenting, yet recruiters try to recruit them and I just think you don't want those types of kids because they could do what those soldiers did...
We don't know they did anything. Remember that 'innocent until proven guilty' thing? You're a teacher - look it up. And do they not have a well formed sense of right and wrong - or do they not have YOUR sense of right and wrong? What makes you so judgmental - on the parents, on the kids, on the recruiters...?

I'm sorry but this just so deeply disturbs me and I know you maybe feel that I am only focusing on certain incidents but it is hard not to...
Actually, it's quite easy. Try reading BlackFive, or Mudville, or Echo9er, or The Thunder Run, or this site, or any of a whole armada of blogs that will tell you the good news (just check the lists left and right on this page). Try looking at CENTCOM's site. Try checking the webpages for any of the armed services. Try looking at DefendAmerica. Incidents like this are a tiny, tiny fraction of what goes on. Our heroes have done countless wonderful things in every area they've been. You just don't see it.

Should we really invade sovereign nations who have done nothing to us? I think war can make people immoral and especially if they don't understand that some people don't want to be liberated or want demorcracy because their countries are to theocratic for Western-style democracy.
1. Iraq did plenty. Shooting at our planes almost daily, funding suicide bombers, failing to follow UN Sanctions (oh, and then there are those WMD's we found, and the mass murder of his own people, but hey, they did nothing, right?)
2. If you think Afghanistan (under the Taliban) did nothing to warrant our actions, you are far beyond anything any response I could give would do.
3. I think you're right about a change of morality in a war zone, somewhat, in that conventinoal rules don't always apply in a war zone. But immorality is a very subjective term, and what is immoral to you isn't necessarily immoral to someone else. For instance, you may choose not to watch horror movies, or rated 'R' movies, while someone else does.
4. What makes you think that the majority of Iraq doesn't want democracy? Technically speaking, the U.S. is a republic, and Iraq is not a true democracy, either - its new government is more of a republic, too. True democracy would have everybody voting on everything, which is a pretty ineffective way to govern. But using the term 'democracy' to refer to a government where people have a say, and can vote - it is true that Muslim extremists sure as hell don't want democracy anywhere near them. It's the antithesis of everything they are. And they'll lose big in a democratic system. No one's telling Iraq that they have to have our system. They, in fact, designed their own government. Chose their own leaders. Damn, that's awful isn't it?

But yet I know many soldiers sign up for mulitple tours of duty so they must feel committed to the mission but sitting at home hearing about this poor girl who was stalked for a week, raped and murdered, I just think: Where is the sympathy for these people? It takes a lot to actually want to hurt someone in a non-defensive way...I just don't know if we are the good guys anymore............I will continue to read soldiers blogs and hope I have not brought you down and I hope you come home soon. And take care of yourself and don't lose your sense of compassion no matter what..it's what keeps us all human.

Troops re-enlist for various reasons, not the least of which is a belief that what they do matters. I for one happen to agree - they are the reason I can sleep safe at night in a free America. Again, no one at this point knows for sure what happened - it is still under investigation. Where is the sympathy for these people? Don't lose compassion? Odd that you should ask that when this past Saturday I sent 11 boxes of clothing, toys, and other items to troops in the field who asked for them for local children...

UPDATE: If you want to know what makes a career Soldier, JackArmy has an answer for you.
If you wanted to ask, he might have a few words for you about the recruiter issue, too.

And I would argue that compassion, if misplaced, does more harm than good. How about if you save a little of yours for our Heroes?

Let's not forget that some people don't deserve one iota of our compassion. Terrorists, for example.

It takes a lot to actually want to hurt someone in a non-agressive way.
I might argue that if our heroes in the field aren't ever aggressive, they're in some serious trouble. It's a war, not air hockey.

I just don't know if we're the good guys anymore.
I do. We are. If you want a comparison, try living in Iran. You don't know if we're the good guys? Have you been to Ground Zero in New York City? I have. Those were the bad guys.

Have you ever actually talked to anyone in the military? I have.

Have you ever actually heard anything of what they're doing over there - from them? I have.

Have you ever heard an Iraqi thank the U.S. troops and say that Iraq needed us to stay until they could stand on their own? I have - at the Milblog Conference this year.

I know they have compassion - I hear it from them. And if you do just a bit more than read the New York Slimes, you can find it out too. But my strongest hope is that naysayers like you don't get them to be so 'compassionate' that they lose their edge. I want them home safe, too - as soon as possible. But they have a job to do there, and what they do there is helping to keep you safe here. So cut them some slack, would you? Or at least treat them fairly.

As far as not wanting your students to join the military, I'd be more concerned that they might grow up to be a reporter for the New York Times, CBS, or any number of other borderline (or not so borderline) traitorous media organizations, or a non-thinking leftie. I'd be proud to have any kid of mine in the military. In fact, I would consider myself having done my job and then some, if any child of mine grew up loving his country, and his fellow Americans, enough to want to serve them. And I would be amazingly proud to have raised a Hero.