You Know What......I Feel The Same Way

"This Letter of Apology"

Was written by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, US Marine Corps, Retired:

For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue.  On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into  some modern day massacre.

I humbly offer my opinion here:

I am sorry that the seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs.

I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage dictatorship.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools, mosques, and government-controlled media.

I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA for all their problems.

I am sorry that our own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed masses do not understand any of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our society like radical professors, CNN and the NYTIMES).

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers upon their death.

I am sorry that those same bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other non-combatant civilians are legitimate targets.

I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy Cutters on Fallujah.

I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."

I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc......etc!

I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa.

America will get past this latest absurdity.  We will punish those responsible because that is what we do.

We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see.  We move on.  That's one of the reasons we are hated so much.  We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

Deep down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like - so what?  We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners.  Sure, it was wrong, sure it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were trying to kill these same prisoners.  Now we're supposed to wring our hands because a few were humiliated?

Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujahans.

If  you want an apololgy from this America, you're going to have a long wait!  You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.

Chuck Pitman
Lieutenant General, USMC

Abu Ghraib is old news but whats going on "over there" isn't--However I felt exactly what the General felt, so here it was.

Comments

[marrie]

I agree with almost everything stated here. Except, I think it is important to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and not allow prisoner abuse, if only because I want our country to stand for a greater ideal. Yes we bail people out, yes we help those who need help, yes we stand up for those who need someone to stand up for them, even if it means that we sacrifice our own brave people. I believe in what we stand for, and that is why I was ashamed of the way those few prison guards acted.

[BlackOps]

Marrie,
Oh Yeah I think we all are for the most part (embarrassed that is), those guards just made the job getting done over ten times harder. Hopefully its behind us but that may take a while.

[tesco]

This is excellent! I'm linking it over at ALa's blog right now...