Dogs and Muslims
June 17th, 2008 by Wil Robinson
It seems the American government and military can’t stop prominently displaying its utter disregard for human life that isn’t white, Judeo-Christian, or wealthy.
To prove my point, the US military has now valued a dog’s life above a Muslim’s.
Last week, a US Marine was ordered to be “processed for separation” from the Corps after he was videotaped throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq. (There was no video of a dead dog, and it is still not known if the puppy actually died or if the video was a carefully constructed illusion.)
However, based on the evidence it was a wanton act of cruelty and sadomasochism, an act that is usually reserved for serial killers as they work their way up the chain from torturing animals to cannibalizing humans.
The Marine Corps issued a statement after taking action to terminate the Marine’s tenure in the military:
The actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated. The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties with honor and compassion that makes American people proud.
High standards. Honor and compassion. Makes American people proud.
Amen to that.
But wait…
Yesterday, the Marine Corps dismissed the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who faced charges of conspiring to cover-up the 2005 Haditha massacre in Iraq.
If you aren’t familiar with the details of Haditha, you should be. It’s not a military moment that demonstrates the Marine Corps “high standards.” A total of 24 civilians were killed, at close range, including six children under the age of 10 years. Most of the victims were shot in their homes.
Initially, eight Marines were charged in the incident. Seven of them have had their charges dropped or dismissed. The last member of the group is awaiting his day in court, but not on the charge of murder - only a court-martial. We can boot a soldier out of the military in mere months for killing a dog, but 24 civilians are murdered and the best we can do is…well, dismiss the charges.
Using the convoluted logic of the US military investigation, there is only one man left who can be potentially responsible for something (though it can’t be murder). And apparently, no one was responsible for the cover-up of the story - even though the initial US military released this press statement:
A US marine and 15 civilians were killed yesterday from the blast of a roadside bomb in Haditha. Immediately following the bombing, gunmen attacked the convoy with small arms fire. Iraqi army soldiers and marines returned fire, killing eight insurgents and wounding another.
Given that children were executed inside their own homes from gunfire, the US military’s claim that any victims were killed “from the blast of a roadside bomb” is clear evidence of a cover-up. The incident never would have been investigated if not for video documentation of the aftermath by a human-rights group.
How can such a massacre happen (24 victims shot execution-style in three houses and one taxi) with only one possible trigger man? How can the cover-up at the highest levels of the military not be evidence of collusion or conspiracy? How can only one man merely face a possible court-martial for such a heinous crime? How can seven of eight be freed when there is 24 executed civilians, the youngest only a year old? What kind of person shoots children? The same kind that throws puppies over a cliff?
But there is one overriding question that stands out this week in regards to US military “justice.”
How have our ethics and morals become so corrupted by politics that, as a nation, we demand justice for a dog and not for a Muslim?
Tags: human, puppy video, punishment, Jew, life
It will take a new leader to change foreign policy direction. Ethics come from the top in any organization, if the #1 person allows it or is silent about it, it will happen. It is important what one says, and what one doesn’t say.
It is mind-boggling, that a country which self-identifies themselves as Christian, can have so much enmity and lack of compassion for Muslims.
Some of the e-mails I receive are purely hate-driven. They almost always include references about how great America is, and how God is on ‘our side’. Come Judgement Day, there will be a lot of shocked and astonished souls.
I think you are looking at this in the wrong way- it is not the American military, but the American people who have caused this. Why? Let me put it this way: every single American girl I have shown the puppy video to has been horrified by it. I have yet to see a single tear for the fate of those in Haditha. Your problem is not a military that gives no value to a Muslim life, but a culture that gives no value to human life.
~T. Greer
T. Greer -
Your argument doesn’t hold up. There is plenty of value given to American lives when they are lost (i.e., 9/11, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma City, Lacy Peterson or any other decent-looking white lady who goes missing, the little British white girl who disappeared in Portugal, etc.) The value is there - but it is only for American lives (and overwhelmingly white American lives).
You may be right that the problem is not only with the military (which I never claimed), but the value of life is most definitely only for those of WASP origin.
It is my belief that the problem is one of relatability. One in two Americans own a dog. One in 100 Americans know a Muslim. Those in Haditha were faceless victims- hardly something most Americans can relate to. Until the American people are shown that the citizens of Haditha were people, and that they too had the hopes, dreams,and loves that make us human, you will not see any anger from America. Anyone can feel sorry for a dog; it is quite a bit harder to feel sorry for a burqa.
~T. Greer
T. Greer-
Good point. It would seem that a media who continually propagates the image of Muslim=terrorist has a role in creating that relationship between Americans.