Letter to the Editor

Your view: Enough already

Monday, May 17, 2004

I agree that those pictures of the Iraqi prisoners are disgusting and not the image we want associated with our military. But compare that to our citizens that were jumping from buildings to avoid the certain death by fire if they remained inside. Compare that to the bodies that were found after 9/11 in bits and pieces. Compare that suffering to those families who had nothing after the 9/11 attack to bury.

Those were innocent men and women who were not fighting against another nation. They had just gone to work to support their families, pay taxes to support others not only in our country, but through their taxes and policies of our government. People benefited all over the world by the efforts of those 3,000-plus murdered on that day.

Compare these pictures to those of the contract workers who were tortured and mutilated in Iraq just a few weeks ago. Who apologized for that? War is horrible. Men and women make faulty decisions under the stresses of war. But were these decisions so horrible in the true light of day? Will these prisoners not live to see the light of another day? Are they not being fed, housed in better surroundings that most live in that country, given the best medical care they most likely have ever had?

How have our prisoners been treated? Where is the outrage over that? If outrage is expressed, it is against our leaders for being there. It is not against the barbarians who committed the act.

Enough already! Punish those responsible and get on with the important issues of today.

Name withheld by request