Wikileaks video - another point of view [View All]

I have watched the video many times over the last couple of days, and I have also come here to see how folks felt about it. Having thought about both I thought I'd chip in my two penn'orth.

I believe that it is beyond tragic that innocents were killed, and even more so for the children involved, but the venomous vitriol spat in the direction of the servicemen involved is simply beyond the pale.

I am not a combat veteran, thank goodness, and therefore have no real experience to relate to as I watched the situation unfold, but I have spoken to several folks that have been over there and that has given me a little colour as to how things are. I have no idea how long those particular soldiers had been in Iraq, whether this was their third or fourth or fifth tour, what their recent experiences had been, what their stress levels were etc etc. From what I can gather about this particular situation the units had come under fire from insurgents and were in the process of patrolling the area to find them. Then they come upon this group of folks that seemed to be blissfully unfazed by the military helicopters circling them overhead. The helicopters applied for, and received, the appropriate clearance to proceed with their actions from military command, and they dealt with their perceived threat.

I have read comments here at DU that frankly make me shake my head in disbelief. They remind me of the cries of 'baby-killers' about the returning vets from Vietnam. These guys are over there doing a job a very small percentage have done or will do, and yet we heap judgment upon them from behind the safety of our computer monitors with no possible idea of what they go through every day. I know for almost an absolute certainty that non of my co-workers are going to have their limbs blown off by an IED today. I know with the same level of confidence that none of them will be killed by a sniper as they go about their daily tasks. I know that my life, however stressful, is infinitely less so than those that have been judged by some, on this video, to be murderers. Folks, this is war. Not of our choice maybe, but it is a war in the very real life or death sense. These soldiers have to go through each and everyday knowing that there is a good chance that they, or someone on their unit, might not make it back.

People here have had some unbelievably cruel, unjustified, and frankly, asinine things to say over the last few days. "Heroes my ass", "murdering bastards" to name a few, and to those that feel that way I say this; walk a mile in their shoes, and THEN you can criticise them. Until then, by all means voice your opinions, it's a free country (for the time being), but realize this before sharing your thoughts with the world, these young men and women, are doing a job they didn't ask for, in situations none of us would tolerate, for next to no reward. They deserve at the very least our compassion and understanding, because thankfully, none of us will have to endure what they do every single day.

* I realize that I am probably going to get flamed to hell for this, but I stand by what I wrote.