That we are failing to care properly for people who have put themselves in harm's way in our service is appalling enough.

But there is more than enough blame to go around. The mdeia have failed -- I sholuld not have to be a subscriber to a website to have learned about this in this multi-year war.

But, from my perspective, the worst failure of all is that of our Democratic "leaders," who are doubly failing -- in serving their constituents with proper oversight, and in failing to make a clear distinction with the hypocrisies of an administration and a political party that roar with "patriotic" rhetoric -- and then fail to "support the troops" in the most basic ways. Democrats should be leading the charge to provide proper support of all kinds -- medical, financial, and logistic -- to the military, and in making it as obvious as possible that the Republicans in the administration and Congress are NOT the supporters of the military that they claim to be.

This is a political, as well as a moral and material, failure, and the shame is greater on our side; we should know better.

Wow -- what was that, 150-some letters? I read every one of them -- interesting. Some were very thoughtful, reflective, potentially very helpful. Quite a few were from people who had obviously been through some situations that LW's letter brought back to them. And a few had a hard time sticking to the topic... ("brightstar" -- I assume your name is ironic? No? O, my bad... FOUR posts saying it's all those leftist feminists' faults? You and Fogelburger, or whatever, might wanna step outside and form your own little off-site there; you might be a bit more comfortable among your own kind. And, please, take a pill -- I mean it; Thorazine® is most definitely indicated.)

Between 1-in-8 and 1-in-7, I think, mentioned the kids [potential, that is]. Good point. Be nice if Cary had thought along those lines, but glad somebody did.

Many people made the point that physical abuse tends to escalate; some brought up the utterly irrelevant fact that when abuse eventually turns pathologic -- or deadly -- it can always be traced back to starting points like this. Bad math. The relevant question is: of all the instances of occasional, relatively minor domestic violence, what proportion does eventually escalate, and what proportion, if any, disappears -- and under what circumstances? Anyone know?

Having said that, my final thought is: behaviors can change. But character rarely does. I feel really bad for both people, and wish them the best. They'll need it.

If I were on a jury, I might be persuaded to write it off as justifiable homicide... The "necessity" defense and all that.

Then she could sell the story to Fox, and retire wealthy. Everybody wins -- 'cept Doug, but he doesn't sound like too nice a guy anyway.

"Lawyers for the men who have been charged with the Jose Padilla..."

The smartalek thinks it would be real cool to be referred to with the definite article before his name.

Plese, what must the smartalek do to earn this honor from Salon? The smartalek would rather not become an alleged terrorist -- is there anything short of that that would suffice? Please let the smartalek know as soon as piossible; the smartalek is not a patient person.

Thank you.

We don't have to look halfway around the world, nor to "other" religions for examples of this kind of obscenity. Just last month, Pat Robertson -- who was a Presidential candidate not too long ago -- warned the residents of Dover PA not to turn to God if there were some kind of devastation, as they had "turned their backs" on Him by rejecting creationism in their science classrooms.

And of course there was Franklin Graham (son of Billy), among others, blaming Hurricane Katrina on the wickedness and "perversion" of New Orleans.

Same shit, different disaster.

The funny thing is, this is actually a rational, defensible technique for the protection of our country, its institutions, and its citizens -- or at least, it might have been if it weren't in the hands of an administration that has already repeatedly proven its utter faithlessness, its total corruption, and its willingness to abuse its powers not in defense of its citizens from outside threats, but in defense of its own powers and prerogatives against domestic political opposition.

I hate that they have put us in the position where the default presumption is that they're abusing it.

And if some spook is reading this, fuck you too. My America -- the America that stood for the reality, not the rhetoric, of freedom -- is stronger and more resilient than you, and will outlast you.