This past Saturday I spent an emotional day talking to and
visiting with, the demonstrators at Camp Pendleton who are supporting
the imprisoned marines known as "The Pendleton 8". Later that same day
on my radio show I interviewed both the defense attorney and the father
of imprisoned private first class John Jodka III .
There are several fascinating and troubling aspects to this story which I believe are generally misunderstood by the public as a result of reporting by the media.
The first of which is the government's agenda. There is a general mistrust of the government's handling of this investigation by those who are demonstrating. The mistrust stems from the belief that the government is using these eight marines as scapegoats and propaganda pawns to demonstrate to the world that the U.S. military has the organizational skills in place to police itself internally. IE: Bueracrats playing CYA for past issues... and political correctness run amok.
It is a mistrust for which the government has no one to blame but itself. Considering that on day one, while the 8 were considered a threat to no one, they were held shackled and chained in a brig in highly publicized fashion.
The demonstrators are not blindly proclaiming that the marines (7 marines and 1 naval corpsman) are innocent. Theirs is a much higher calling. They are out to do their part to ensure that 'the 8' receive a fair trial based upon the merits of the facts of the investigation...not tainted by propaganda, bueracratic agendas or the perceived need for political correctness.
Publicly you have congressman John Murtha (D-PA) along with The New York Times presuming guilt and using 'the 8' as examples in making their political views on Iraq known.
Conversely republican lawmakers have been deafening silent. No one is asking that Duncan Hunter (R-CA), (and Chairman of The House Armed Services Committee) or any number of other republicans lawmakers who are former marines, foolishly go out on a limb and proclaim the boys innocent.
However
a few well measured, responsible public remarks could go a long way
towards countering the one-sided rhetoric of Murtha, The New York Times
and others while prosecutors and defense attorneys go about doing their
jobs.
If you would like a personal view of one "the 8", then, visit www.innocentmarine.com. It is the website of imprisoned pfc John Jodka III (of Encinitas, CA) and his father.
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