In the News: “Urinate-gate”

So…this happened:

My first reaction upon viewing the above last week was abject horror at the sight of United States Marines urinating on dead bodies. And then as I am wont to do, I shuddered and went back to what I had been doing like perusing Etsy stores and yelling at the television.

Hours later I returned to a Twitter stream filled with conservative blogger/former Tea Party activist/CNN contributor Dana Loesch batting down the progressives for their reaction or as she saw it overreaction to the behavior of these Marines. The following day Dana – and full disclosure here that I have always been friendly with her – mentioned the incident on her popular radio show where she stated that she was fine with the actions of the Marines. She also said that she would “drop trou and do it too”. You can listen to the full statement here:

After my initial reaction of “OH MY GOD THEY ARE PEEING ON PEOPLE” I left ‘gut-reaction’ mode and tried to think outside of myself as to why Marines would defile corpses. Thinking before reacting is something I have been working hard at over the years which is to take my gut as a first stop and explore why I might feel this way and other factors surrounding a particular incident. I don’t want to turn into a person who blindly goes along with what everyone else is saying for the express purpose of being able to say “Well because they said”. I strive to be more of an independent thinker because it’s important when arguing politically to have a grasp of both sides of the equation.

“Well…it is the Taliban”, I thought. Which might sound horrible to say that one should pee on on dead bodies because it’s someone who has assisted in inflicting terror not only upon their own citizens but on other Americans. The same Taliban that has repressed women, starved their own citizens and has had allegiance with Al Qaeda. That said these are dead bodies and the people urinating on the bodies are Marines: A group currently surrounded by war. I cannot fathom what happens on the front lines and what each of our service members bear witness to each day we are embroiled in combat on the other side of the world. I think I would be far more horrified to learn of what happens during each day of war than I would be to see Marines peeing. And that is the honest truth. So while I in no way condone what the Marines did – nor does the US Marine Corps which immediately responded that they would be subject to disciplinary action – I cannot imagine what they have seen and what they have been through to get to that point.

As you can see I have been thinking – possibly over thinking, but that is what I do – this entire event while most of you have gone about our lives. It’s jus that I can’t imagine ever being in their position; the Marines that is and that is what keeps me from being angry towards the entirety of the US Marine Corps and spewing vitriol towards our men and women in combat. I see this as more of a loss of control by these four Marines. They have captured the enemy, killed him no less and in the end urinating on their dead bodies in order to show just who is boss. And so, while I am not angry and getting pitchforks ready as I have seen so many do I am disappointed. That’s what. Marines are held to a a far higher standard than the American civilian and what has occurred is something outside of the realm of what they are supposed to personify therefore they should be punished and just how we will soon see.

In sum: I take the Bill Maher reaction. You?

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U.S. Marines Soul Searching After ‘Urinating’ Video

Correcting the Progressive Spin on My Defense of the Marines

Goldie Taylor Calls Out CNN’s Dana Loesch on CNN over Urine-gate