Subject: Rules of Engagement

BC,
  I just discovered your site a few weeks ago, and now I make sure to visit everyday.
It's one of the only places I can go for straightforward political dissention, and I commend you for providing that.

  Anyway, I read your review of "Rules of Engagement" and I was glad that someone else who saw it
as the garbage that it is.  I shared some of your feelings, such as how it trapped two top-notch actors
withing a poorly-written film, but the main reason I disliked the movie was different from yours.

I saw the movie a few months ago, it seemed to me that the main defense of Jackson's character was his
distinguished service in Vietnam, and the main motivation behind his acquittal was sympathy for what he
went through in that most harsh of conflicts.

  Vietnam was well before my time (I was born in '83), but I do have an appreciation for what our soldiers
went through in that war, whether they wanted to be there or not.  After hearing many historical as well as
personal accounts, I can't imagine a bigger sacrifice to make for one's country than to have participated in
such horrific combat.

  However, contrary to the movie's message, I do not think that having suffered in the name of Uncle Sam
twenty-five years ago can serve to justify one's actions today.  Military officers have the power to either
execute or withold deadly force, and they must do so with the highest discretion possible, especially in
delicate international affairs.  They cannot order the killing innocent civilians, as Jackson's character did,
and then point to twenty-five-year-old medals on the wall.

  Forgive me if I'm wrong about this, because, as I said, I saw the movie some time ago, but I think the
final scene of the movie was Jones's character talking to the lawyer who opposed him.  I'm pretty sure it
went like this: Jones asked the other guy if he knew the life expectancy of a Marine being dropped into
combat in Vietnam for the first time from a helicopter.  The other lawyer guessed two weeks, and Jones
said it was "Twenty god damn minutes."  My question is: What does that have to do with anything?

With much respect to our Vets,
 Shaun, NJ
 

Shaun, thanks for the note.

I think your statement:
"They cannot order the killing innocent civilians, as Jackson's character did,
   and then point to twenty-five-year-old medals on the wall," was in error.

There were no innocent people in the attack scene.
You don't go to a machine gun fight as pasively stand around and observe.
In the flashback, they showed the women and children in the crowd firing automatic weapons,
even the nine-year old girl.

In a perfect wortld, I would've preferred the Marines fire a five second burst at the crowd
to see if that stopped them, instead of the full "Number Six" that they put on them,
but I've never been in combat.

I have a "take no prisoners" debate style, but I don't know if I'd be the same under fire.
I was surprised they waited as long as they did to fire. I guess I wouldn't be on any
"special ops" teams, because I don't have that much discipline.

As far as your "twenty five years" question, sure, it doesn't give them as pass on current atrocities,
as Tim McVeigh's case proved, but it damn sure buys them the benefit of the doubt.

Jesus, the idea of leaving your family and going to Vietnam or France or the Pacific with a
great chance of never coming home?  I don't know if overpaying them is even possible.

And the idea of medals on the chest makes me think that for every goofball who got
a medal he didn't deserve, there are probably three who did something heroic but never
got the recognition, probably because they didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
 
 
 

P.S.- I think the site could use a tribute to Lance Armstrong.
We should have admired the guy if he had just survived, but on top of that,
he won two Tour de France's in addition to his first one.
He is a true inspiration, which is a rare find in sports today.
 

That's been suggested, and I agree, I just don't know anything about Lance Armstrong
and I have no passion at all for bike racing. But if you know html and would like to put
something together about Armstrong, I'll print it.