A Balanced Perspective

Operation Iraqi Freedom is definitely the most highly scrutinized military operation in history. With the advent of embedded reporters and the instant projection of live images around the world, American soldiers are under the microscope of world scrutiny on a minute-by-minute basis. I believe that our soldiers have acted in a such a manner as would make any country proud. Our servicemen are so highly trained that the ratio of American to enemy deaths is something like 6 to 1,000. That is a remarkable and historic achievement.

I'm tired of the media and those who oppose the war latching on to the few aberrant instances where soldiers have made mistakes. Even in the wake of overwhelming victories, all we hear about are the handful of cases where a soldier's judgement could possibly be questioned. This reminds me of the self-righteous person who refuses to listen to the articulation of an opposing view simply because the messenger has some character flaws. NO ONE IS PERFECT. Rather than focus on the goal and purpose of the war, war opponents want to sidetrack and thereby discourage us with the one or two flaws in an otherwise seamless operation.

Although I agree that a soldier should be held accountable for any unethical actions or major lapses in judgement, we have to consider his behavior within the context of war. Our enemy, the insurgents who thwart our efforts to bring freedom to the Middle East, do not "play by the rules" of modern warfare. There are countless stories of these cowards waving white flags, luring soldiers closer, only to shoot them point blank. They booby-trap dead bodies, hide in religious Mosques, and use women and children as shields. Do you hear any complaints from the magnanimous organizations and countries so quick to judge the Americans? No wonder our soldiers are wary of even the wounded and dead; anything and everything is a potential death trap. If the instances of so-called "unethical" killing can be counted on one hand, then I think we should consider our troops' record near impeccable.

Regardless of what anyone might say, American soldiers are the best, the brightest, the kindest and the most benevolent in the world. They fulfill their duties with honor, they sacrifice bravely. Remember that for every mistake or shameful action of one soldier, there are thousands more who would make you burst with pride.