Facing The Enemy Within

I have long had the highest respect for Americans who serve our country. Whether they come from any branch of the military or law enforcement, or whether they serve in a local fire department, all of these men and women are owed a debt of gratitude that mere words cannot always fully convey. These individuals willingly put their own lives at risk to protect and defend the United States and its citizens from harm. There is no coercion here - they volunteer to do so. While a bad day at work for us 'plain folk' may consist of a tongue-lashing by a demanding boss, a bad day on the job for these other brave men and women may see them dead, never to return home again. Specifically referring to those in the military, Sir Winston Churchill summed it up best in this way:

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

Against this backdrop is the continuing saga of three Navy SEALs who are facing court-martial for their handling of a captured terrorist. Last September, Spc.Ops. Huertas, McCabe, and Keefe, were part of a mission to capture Ahmed Hashim Abed, who was responsible for the 2004 killing and mutilation of four American Blackwater contractors in Fallujah, Iraq. Their mangled and charred corpses were prominently hanged on a bridge for all to see.

So what kind of hell was rained upon this captured terrorist? A punch in the gut, or so he says. Hence, three of our elite fighters, our best of the best, are facing court-martial proceedings.

Bid adieu to the days when our soldiers simply killed and broke things, and embrace the glory days of the modern era when our soldiers must coddle sworn enemies and avowed killers, and extend to them all the legal rights formerly reserved for the lowly American citizen!

Under our current administration, however, and the dominance of politically correct congressional dogma (hat tip, Democrats), does this story really come as a surprise? Still have doubts? Then consider the following paragraph from an Investor's Business Daily story - a story that our mainstream media largely ignored:

"Thanks to the vigilance of a couple of bloggers and House Republicans...the $50 billion intelligence authorization bill was stripped of a last-minute amendment that would have made criminals of many U.S. intelligence agents." [IBD, Mar. 1, 2010]

Specifically, this Democrat amendment would have imposed huge fines and a minimum 15-year prison term on any officer who handled their captives in a "cruel, inhuman, and degrading way." Huh? What kind of claptrap is this anyway? Maybe a little clarity, please? The aforementioned article continues:

"Among the transgressions the bill would have outlawed were 'exploiting the phobias of the individual,' 'depriving the individual of necessary food, water, sleep, or medical care,' or even 'cramped confinement' or 'prolonged isolation.'" [Ibid]

So let's see - if I had to choose between electric shock, corporal mutilation, and certain death due to beheading (courtesy of these terrorist 'folks') OR having loud music played while trying to sleep, and being frightened at the prospect of insects crawling all over me (not the actual occurrence, just the thought of it), well geez...I guess I'd take the second option.

The sheer outrageousness of this Democrat amendment can be witnessed by the hushed silence in which it was withdrawn. Deserving of meritorious mention in this failed congressional hoodwink is Republican Rep. Peter Hoekstra (hero), while the ignominious citation goes to Democrat Rep. Jim McDermott (villain).

It's challenging enough for our military and intelligence personnel to fight our sworn enemies abroad, but to have to deal with them in our homeland, in our nation's capital, among our elected representatives, is simply reprehensible!

Semper Fi.