"War is Hell." So Why Do We Expect That Our Soldiers Be Saints?

I understand that our soldiers are held to a much higher moral standard than soldiers of other nations, and certainly higher than that of the fantatical and barbaric insurgents in our current zones of conflict.  But I think in the public indignation over the marines that urinated on Taliban corpses, we forget something. It's easy to harness your emotions when the most aggravating thing in your day is your boss making you work late. It might be harder to do so while battling a subversive and bloodthirsty enemy that makes no bones about killing you at all costs.

The Taliban is already employing the most effective and violent measures in combatting our soldiers, and our soldiers endure that reality on a daily basis.  Yet the criticism of our enemies' use of such measures is implied, rarely voiced.  When the opportunity arises to demonize our own soldiers for a momentary lapse of judgment, however, Western voices are only too eager to offer their harshest criticism- and as loudly as possible.

Rep. Allen West addresses this anomaly in flawless fashion in an email to The Weekly Standard, seen below, original found here.  And on behalf of America and our soldiers that are often happily targeted by our media pundits, thank you, Mr. West.

William Sullivan

“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah. 

“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq? 

“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.

“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”