Grrr...Blood Pressure rising....
Things like this really aggravate me. Apparently, this Special Forces Ranger * spent 16 months in Iraq and was ordered to do all sorts of atrocities. Upon returning form the war, he joins up with Iraqi Veterans Against the War and starts speaking at anti-war rallies and gets a 20-minute film made about his experiences.
The only problem is, HE NEVER SEVED IN THE ARMY. At all. Ever.
Much like Jimmy Massey (who did actual serve but made up numerous accounts of atrocities he committed), the anti-war crowd latched onto him and hailed him as hero.
Meanwhile, you have the Army prosecuting the soldiers involved in the actual (although rare) crimes. The Armed forces have ROUTINELY investigated and charged (where appropriate) servicemen and women who commit crimes in the course of their service. Remember, we KNOW about the Abu Graib mess precisely because the Army released the information to the media.
But, back to Jessie-
We KNOW he’s lying about being in the Army and in Iraq for 16 months, because he’s HOME in Arizona in April of 2004. Here he is in his own words (from the State Press Editorial April 23, 2004)-
I understand they're upset about the homeless bathing and panhandling in the store. I would be upset about that, too. But again, my problem with them and the Free to Camp Coalition's problem are way different. I would gladly sit down with Coffee Plantation and discuss a way we can resolve this, because I've really got better things to do than protest. I am on the verge of being reshipped out. If Coffee Plantation will agree to change some things, then I will no longer protest. Some of the things include not banning people based on appearance or social status. If people are bathing in your bathroom, then ban them. But if they are paying customers and they are quietly sitting down and enjoying a drink like everyone else and you ban them because you don't like what they're wearing, then that is not right. If they were worried and customers were complaining, then I might understand.
I served in Iraq 16 months as a U.S. Army Ranger. Coming back home and being treated that way angered me. Coffee Plantation is not the enemy or my enemy. The owners who discriminate are the enemy. I used to go and hang out there all the time. I would play chess and buy food there all day sometimes.
Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp, it works better if you print the whole truth, not shape it to fit your opinion or Coffee Plantation's. Your column is just another example of how the media mistreats the people. I love America. I would fight a million wars and die a million times to ensure the safety of America and the American people. So if that makes me a jerk or a socialistic pig, then so be it. I have a lot of pride in my country, my service in my uniform and all of my battle buddies out there right now fighting and dying. I won't set that aside for anything. If Coffee Plantation wants to sit and talk to resolve this, I will gladly.
I won't discuss the day I'm being shipped off. But we need to arrange talks ASAP if Coffee Plantation wants to talk.
Keep in mind that at this point, we’d only been in Iraq for 13 months, and in later tellings, he wasn't due to be redeployed, he had received a medical discharge.
Wait a sec...what's an ACTIVE DUTY soldier (who would have been at Fort Bragg) doing hanging out in a coffeeshop in PHOENIX?
Bah, feh, I can’t handle any more of this. I shouldn’t let one asshat get me so worked up. Mostly it’s how it reflects on the Army (Fort Bragg in particular), but partly it’s because this idiot was in my adopted hometown.
Here’s some links to peruse if you are interested-
Quando
ArmyRanger.com
What it boils down to for me is, the next time you anti-war folks want a ‘hero’ to look up to, please make sure that he’s ACTUALLY been in the military, and if he’s admitting to war crimes please alert the MPs at the nearest military installation. Crap like this takes away from things that are really going on, both good and bad.
But I know that the only thing to come out of this will be more “false but accurate” BS.
Oh, and no, he’s not a Rovian plant to make you look foolish. Y’all did that one all on your own.
Sorry for the rant today, just had to get that out of my system.
*Well, they took the interview down now, so you can't see what this idiot was saying. That's a good start. Any bets on whether we'll see a retraction or if it'll just be as thought tey never knew about him? I found a copy of the interview here, if you haven't read it already.
Tags-
Jesse MacBeth,anti-war hysteria
posted by Kyrie Drake @ 11:58 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Well, no need to apologize for the "rant"--I enjoyed reading it.
I'm curious about a couple of things. First: how widely publicized was this guy before someone called him out that he was lying--and did the real facts get as much publicity afterwards? Second: when you refer to the "anti-war" crowd, whom do you mean?
I think that you're honest about your beliefs (all of them), and it deeply bothers you when other people fabricate proofs for their beliefs rather than arguing them honestly. Of course, that part isn't a revelation--but I also want to understand why that's so deep in you (first because you're my friend, but also because this--becoming angry at lies and deception that have an impact on the world--isn't unique to you).
Maybe it's an aspect of how we think about the general state of other people's thought processes? My gut reaction would be to shrug and go, okay, he's an idiot and a liar, and that would be the end of it. I know that I tend to assume that, in general, people think things through (instead of just incorporating their gut reactions to the lies and going on with their lives). We've discussed it before. Intellectually, I can accept that globally, people aren't like that (some are "half-asleep")--but it's hard to live like that when every single person I've interacted with in the past several years (Catholic groups, gaming groups, RCIA, school friends, etc.) has thought out their reactions to things. Well, what do you think?
First: how widely publicized was this guy before someone called him out that he was lying--and did the real facts get as much publicity afterwards?
Since I don't follow left-wing propoganda, I don't know how widely publicized he was. Enough that he spoke at a couple of anti-war rallies and got a 'movie' made about his so called experiences.
Did the real facts get as much publicity? Probably, because the right-wing propoganda machine in the blogosphere went to work on it.
Note- propoganda is not something that is BAD, just somethign that pushes an agenda.
In either case, I doubt the mainstream media picked up on any of it.
Second: when you refer to the "anti-war" crowd, whom do you mean?
I mean groups like Iraqi Vets against the War, Gold Star Moms for Peace, and all the socialist (communist) groups that jump in and are willing to believe the WORST about America and the military without bothering to see if it's true. Them, and their followers. They've been duped before and they'll be duped again because it's what they WANT to be true about us.
but I also want to understand why that's so deep in you
Because it's crap like this that gets used by the terrorists in THEIR propoganda to encourage more people to become terrorists. In a very real way, it puts AARYK'S life in more danger when he gets deployed.
My gut reaction would be to shrug and go, okay, he's an idiot and a liar, and that would be the end of it.
Would you feel the same if it were someone making outlandish accusations about Bishop Olmstead or Fr. Jack? Things that were accepted as truth without having been verified? This is something that is done intentionally to make our soldiers (including men like Aaryk) look like mindless killing machines.
I CAN'T just shrug it off.
I know that I tend to assume that, in general, people think things through (instead of just incorporating their gut reactions to the lies and going on with their lives).
This ties back into the Da Vinci Code nonsense. It's because people ARE willing to just live by their gut reactions and accept things like this at face value that it becomes a problem. A friend once told me about her mom, and how every once in a while she'd get in a conversation about Catholicism with her and that she'd take as 'common knowledge' the most outrageous things.
It's something we all do to some extent, but most of the folks we know tend to try and see past our 'blind spots'.
but it's hard to live like that when every single person I've interacted with in the past several years (Catholic groups, gaming groups, RCIA, school friends, etc.) has thought out their reactions to things.
You need to look a litle deeper.
ALL of your friends, including me, have areas that they react to at a gut level without thinking things through. Look at the numerous 'confrontations' we've had on DGWF, or in the blogs over things that some one put out as 'fact' or 'truth' that then got challenged.
I think that's the difference. Our group of friends is WILLING to challenge the 'gut reactions' of each other. Most of the time, people in general don't. They just let things go rather than cause conflict over them. That then perpetuates the 'myths' and lies.
Lots more great information here--most of it, I'm reading and nodding. Thanks for answering my questions so thoroughly.
>Because it's crap like this that gets used by the terrorists in THEIR propoganda to encourage more people to become terrorists. In a very real way, it puts AARYK'S life in more danger when he gets deployed.
I get that. So it's one of those things where opinions aren't just things that affect individuals--as a force, they affect other things too, eventually spreading all the way to more acts of terrorism. Wow. This'll make me a bit more scared when I read propaganda in the future, but I'm glad of that--glad to understand its effect in the world.
Maybe we're making strides on the challenging own preconceptions part already:
>I CAN'T just shrug it off.
No, you shouldn't--and neither should I. Thanks for helping me understand why!
Oooh, a couple more thoughts too:
>A friend once told me about her mom, and how every once in a while she'd get in a conversation about Catholicism with her and that she'd take as 'common knowledge' the most outrageous things.
I've been there! You probably have too...we talk about it all the time in RCIA, what we do with our groups of Protestant friends when we convert. I wonder why many Protestants have so many stupid ideas about Catholics, though...but I take that back; I have experienced people who seem to ask questions about it, but the next time you talk about it, their preconceptions haven't changed in the least.
>Most of the time, people in general don't. They just let things go rather than cause conflict over them. That then perpetuates the 'myths' and lies.
That's brilliant, and something I'd like to explore some more!
This'll make me a bit more scared when I read propaganda in the future, but I'm glad of that--glad to understand its effect in the world.
Don't let it make you afraid. Fear immobilizes. Let it make you aware, even angry, enought to DO something about it.
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