- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
I am truly shocked that this article has cutesy pictures of Graner with Santa. WTF? Abu Ghraib and Gitmo are atrocities and to act like Graner was an innocent victim who deserves to be freed is ridiculous.
I do agree that his current punishment is severe and he should be sent back into the mainstream prison population but that is it. If he was documenting the brutality with photos for proof of something, then why the need to have smiling faces and thumbs up around them? When those pictures first hit the press I just couldn't understand why this could be happening. At the time the righty talk shows were laughing about the abuse, saying it wasn't so bad, whats the big deal about being forced to masterbate and wear women's underwear or have growling dogs nearby.
I remember when John Darby came home after whistle blowing. He was greeted in his hometown by threats. There was no hero's welcome, talk shows calling him a traitor. Same thing with Jessica Lynch. When she finally spoke to the press and didn't go along with the propaganda of her heroic rescue she was slut shamed. The same talk shows that glorified her weeks before were now calling her unpatriotic and started digging into all types of sexual improprieties.
If I have any sympathy for anyone, they would be on the top of my list, along with all the innocent prisoners. Not Charles Graner who enjoyed doing what he was doing. Is it fair that he's the only one in prison? Hell no! I think all the higher ups should be charged. I'd like to think that Obama is going to do something about this. But other than stopping the mental torture that he's currently enduring, I think him being in prison for what he did is fair enough.
What is surprising though is how Graner was able to email the photos undetected by the military. I thought their mail was censored somewhat, especially when attachments would be involved. Anyone with knowledge of soldier's privacy?
