I couldn't resist some headlines this morning.
Marine general: It's 'fun to shoot people' - Good Lord! This three-star marine general sat on a panel Tuesday and made the following comments: "Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot," Lt. Gen. James Mattis said, prompting laughter from some military members in the audience. "It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." YIKES! No... I'm sorry, but NO. It's not FUN to shoot people. And don't lead our soldiers into thinking that way. This guy led the marine expeditions in Afghanistan. Yuck!
Rice: Attack on Iran 'not on the agenda' - Oh, well thank goodness. Afterall, I didn't think America was supposed to be TAKING OVER THE FREAKING WORLD! Now, I realize that Iran is trying to become a nuclear threat and this is bad, very bad. But dude... when does it stop? Everyone wants a nuclear bomb. It's the only way to get America to listen. Eventually, while we are chasing after one phantom bomb or imaginary WMDs, someone is going to sneak up on our ass and blow a hole through it. I'm tellin ya, the world is NOT heading in some pretty directions. We best get our hands together and start praying.
Posted by kristen at February 4, 2005 08:25 AM | TrackBackI'll have to disagree with you about the marine, he's a marine, it's what he gets paid to do for our country.
Posted by: Chris Hammond at February 4, 2005 09:29 AMFUN????
A necessary part of war- maybe. Fun... no. Sorry Chris.
It takes all types of people to fight in wars.
Posted by: Chris at February 4, 2005 10:50 AMThere are two reasons to be upset with what he said, depending upon the word you emphasize.
1) "It's *FUN* to shoot some people". I don't want our soldiers and marines to think killing is fun...if they do, they're likely to kill when its not necessary.
2) "It's fun to shoot *SOME* people." The Marine's words definitely showed some anti-Islamic bias. The administration has tried to make it clear this isn't an anti-Islam war -- it's supposed to be directed at individual nations, not the religion of the peoples of those nations.
And the response of the Marine's superiors was classic, saying he was admonished, and agreed he should have chosen his words more carefully. Not that there is anything wrong with declaring it's fun to kill, or with slurring another religion, just that you shouldn't do it publicly, because you know, that puts the military in a bad light, golly gee. Go ahead and glorify killing and hate your fellow man, but do it privately, where the press won't pick it up.
Posted by: John at February 4, 2005 12:01 PMnot to mention a comment like that could put more troops at risk. Look no further than Abu Grahib -- how many attacks on troops were started after those photos were released?
Posted by: jenny at February 4, 2005 06:07 PMIt's fun to shoot some squirrels. You know, the one's who steal all your bird seed and admonish you in squirrelspeak. Yup, that's F.U.N.
Posted by: Tom at February 5, 2005 09:44 PM