Specialist Joseph M. Darby, Hero

When you do your duty because it is the right thing to do, that's being a hero to me.

From the New York Times, May 22, 2004

"Specialist Joseph M. Darby had just arrived ...when his friend ...showed him a picture ...of a naked prisoner chained to his cell with his arms hung above him.

"The Christian in me says it's wrong," Specialist Darby would later tell investigators ...Specialist Darby came forward two months later... after deciding that the photo and others he saw were "morally wrong."

He said in his sworn testimony: "I knew I had to do something. I didn't want to see any more prisoners being abused because I knew it was wrong."

....In alerting criminal investigators, Specialist Darby, a 24-year-old from from Maryland, stood out from other soldiers who learned of the abuse. ... many other people, including medics, dog handlers and military intelligence soldiers ... saw or heard of similar pictures of abuse, witnessed it or heard abuse discussed openly at Abu Ghraib months before the investigation started ..."

Where were those other Christians? Where was that small, still voice telling them they were doing wrong?

Religious have more reason to commit crimes

"Helge Moulding"  wrote in message news:c8f02u$nca$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... >
>  > Many non-believers commit crimes.
>
> But believers commit more of them. Believers have more reasons to commit
> crimes than non-believers. Not only are believers subject to the
> ordinary temptations of all people, but they get to add the impulse to
> do bad things in the name of their deity. And, yes, I know, you're gonna
> point out that believers should fear the wrath of God. Except I see no
> actual evidence that that's so. Al Capone went to church on Sundays, you
> know.
>
I'm not sure what's more depressing: Helge's argument, or the fact that I agree with it.   Old friends, most of whom are Catholic, sometimes ask why on earth I joined a small, obscure, declining religion. I explain that this denomination, having so few members and a tolerant ideology, is too small to persecute anyone. If we were large and powerful[*], we would probably turn let power go to our heads in some way [insert obligatory Lord Acton quote about here].     The fact that the church was right across the street didn't hurt, either.    

 

[*] insane would work, too. Even small religions can be dangerous if crazy.

Prison Abuse is Human Nature

If the 20th century taught us anything, it's that civilized people can
easily fall into inhuman behavior. Turks (against Armenians), Germans
(against Jews), Hutu (against Tutsi), Serbs (against Albanians), Cambodians
(against Cambodians) -- these examples show us that the patina of
civilization we wear is very thin and vulnerable.   There's nothing
particular about American history or genetics that would lead anyone to
think Americans would be immune from such behavior.

It is systems and training and discipline and rules of engagement and all
that other bureaucratic stuff that's supposed to keep the amount of bad
behavior under very, very difficult circumstances under control.

Unfortunately, in the Iraq war we prepared for the quick campaign well, but were
inadequately planned for what happened after "Mission Accomplished". The
fact that we didn't adequately plan how to run military prisons is just one
more area where the Bush administration was too darned optimistic that the
Iraq was would be short and glorious.

As we go up the chain of command, they should be blamed if they knew about
it, and blamed if they didn't know about it. It's their job to lead and to
control.

If there is a silver lining to this situation, it may lie in the fact that
the controls will surely be enforced now to prevent more serious
atrocities -- ones in which thousands of people die -- from being inflicted
on civilian populations by American troops.

All brothers under the skin: Mother's Day edition

Sunday, May 9, 7 a.m.:  I drove our minivan to the supermarket. Ahead of me in the
parking lot was another man in a old minivan. I noticed we had opposing
bumper stickers.

His: Bush-Cheney '04.
Mine: Also a Bush sticker, but "Bush '04: Lies, Damned Lies, and Lies of
Mass Destruction".

Him: bumper sticker for a local, born-again Christian high school
Me: bumper sticker for farther away, liberal Protestant high school

Him: bumper sticker for Wheaton College (conservative Christian college)
Me: bumper sticker for Kalamazoo College (secular, slightly liberal college)

Him: NRA sticker (National Rifle Association)
Me: AYSO sticker (American Youth Soccer Association)

Nevertheless, despite our political differences I followed him into the
store, joined him in throwing a bouquet of flowers into the cart, and in
pawing quickly through the remaining stack of Mother's Day cards until we
each found one that was good enough.  We were not so different after all.