Letters to the Editor
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"They did what they had..." + "To Steal a baby's necklace"
In response to the two letters listed:
First to 'No Name Given', Buddhist was right to call you to task. The atrocieties of Tiger Force and the Mai Lai massacre were perpetuated upon unarmed men, women, and children. It was not neccesary for anyone to shoot a four year old, or decapitate a baby. I can only imagine your ethnocentric rage if American children were killed in such a way by a "terrorist", and I seriously doubt the fact that such had happened forty-years ago would dissuade your thirst for "justice". There is no excuse for the murder of a child dear woman. None. And those who have commited such crimes need to be held formally accountable for what they have done - not merely allowing time to prosecute/persecute them. Society needs that recognition, the formal statement in front of the world that such is not allowed. We require it from other countries, we MUST require it from ourselves. That you do not see this need, merely illustrates why the inhabitants of the world hold Americans in such disregard.
However, to 'Buddhist', you disregard the treatment of the young men who went to Vietnam and were so badly mistreated. That is also unacceptable. Right now there are those of us who are distressed by the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, and it most likely is not as bad as what some soldiers suffered in Vietnam. Most of these young men were doing what they saw as their duty, and were misled by their leaders. To toss off so glibly their suffering and loss is to stoop to the same level as 'No Name' - you place more value on one life than another. Suffering is suffering no matter who perpetuates or who suffers, it requires equal amounts for all of punishment and compassion. If you wish to truly be heard, and truly be a compassionate person, not a hypocrite, you'd do well to keep this in mind