Hey, I am in no way defending
these guys, but ... let's keep in mind that these guys were ordered to kill all "military-aged men," which basically means: kill, just fucking kill and don't worry about anything else.
The real culprits are the idiots who ordered these men to commit murder. I am afraid the accused are being made scapegoats of this fallacious war, and are being promptly dismissed as a "few bad apples," as if all wrong in Iraq has been made right. However, these kinds of men are not few and far between; they are, in all probability, the typical gung-ho soldiers who are forced to do things they would not normally do in order to bring arbitrary terms like "peace" and "justice" and "freedom" to Iraq. Let's hold our great Decider to account, as well as his pernicious posse: Rumsfeld, Gonzalez, Rice, Cheney, etc. ...
Damn, what a fuck'd up situation Dubya has gotten us into. You know, it's pretty pathetic when you begin to consider that maybe, just maybe, in light of our involvement in Iraq, Saddam was the best leader for that poor, poor nation. Which begs the question, 'Why, Lord, oh why, did we ever go there in the first place?' Mind-boggling.
What is equally disgusting as the Decider - who confesses his love for the troops while watching them die - are certain trolls who say they hate the troops and wish they would all die. What makes your contempt for the troops any better than Bush's? True, our troops should be held accountable when accountability is called for ... but wishing death upon them is hateful and cowardly. It's easy for people to criticize the troops from the comfort of their home. But it's an entirely different matter to be nineteen years old, poor and uneducated, firing at people who all look the same to you, and hoping to God that somehow, someway you make it out alive. You don't have time to worry about policy, because your only concern is not leaving in a bodybag. So criticize the war all you want trolls, but watch your ass when you talk about our troops. You may think they are all ignorant bastards, but damn it, they are our ignorant bastards.
I don't support the war, but I support our troops. That's why I'm a progressive; I'm not afraid to admit my country is wrong when I believe it is wrong. And I will never hesitate to help out a compatriot when his hand is bloodied and reaching out and everyone is waiting to pounce on him. Because I know I would want someone to have mercy upon me if I am ever lost and need help ...