I was dismayed to see the news article about American service personnel posing a la hunting trophy poses with dead (alleged) civilians in Afghanistan. I'm not making an excuse for what looks downright tasteless and disappointing. I say looks, and not only that, this is such a tiny fragment of what our armed forces are doing overseas. In our if-it-bleeds,-it-leads media culture, perception is reality and someone very desperately wants everyone to see how ugly Americans really are.
Since the camera was invented, it has been used to document the demise of ne'er do wells. It was common in the old west for former bad guys, pining for the fjords, to pose for formal photography, sometimes with solemn lawmen redolent of the gravity and dignity called for on that occasion. This practice was carried well into the 20th century. Google images bonnie, clyde and dead and see what you find.
Further, just yesterday, I read a news article in the British press about gallows humour, and that-- however tasteless-- humour is and was ever thus a method for dealing with having experienced (or heard about) unimaginable horrors.
In that vein, I will say this: I don't know what the men in the photos experienced that led to that moment, and I am heartsick at the atrocity of it all, but I'm also not going to judge them where I don't know the whole story.
I will, however, be awaiting the spittle-flecked vitriolic harangues from the Village Voice decrying the president because he knew, he knew he HAD TO HAVE known! He was IN on it! He encouraged them to behave thusly.
Yeah, I know: *crickets*
Will Cindy Sheehan be flying to exotic locales to protest outside whatever posh hotel is hosting the Great One? Somehow, I think not.
Meanwhile, I remember images of thronging masses of Somalis celebrating in the street as the mangled corpse of an American was dragged through the village nearly 20 years ago. The locals cheered and celebrated. Meanwhile, we're supposed to be the good-natured, slow-to-anger, grin-and-bear-it sort. Somehow, a corpse block-party and step show looks far more barbaric to me than a few instances of an individual posing with long-pig that has given up the ghost. In scale of atrocity, these are light-years apart, in my book.
War is an ugly thing wherein people are assigned the odious task of breaking things and killing people. If we send men and women to go about the business of carrying on a campaign, then I think we need to stay out of the way and let them do their job.
Name: Phlegmfatale
Location: Elsewhere, Texas, USA
I'm not whining;
I'm unburdening.
FATALE ABSTRACTION
Learn more here
Dallas Diorama
A Keyboard and a .45
Adventures of Mauser Girl
aepilot_jim
Another Day...Another...
Atavist
Atomic Nerds
Ambulance Driver
Attila the Mom
Baby Troll Blog
Bad Tempered Zombie
Bayou Renaissance Man
Better and Better
Blackfork
Borepatch
Breda
Brown Valley Kingdom
Calvin's Mom
Carteach
The Chopping Block
Chris Ex Machina
Crucis' Court
Dalai Mama
Damn!
DBA Dude
DirtCrashr
Every Blade of Grass
Evyl Robot
Exile in Portales
Expert Witness
Fat Hairy Bastard
Fat in Indiana
Flying Flo's Forum
Free Thinker
Guffaw
Holly's Ramblin'
I Aim To Misbehave
If the Creek Don't Rise
In Jennifer's Head
John Shirley's Wandering Thoughts
LawDog
Lawyer With A Gun
Le Conteur
Linoge
Lucrative Pain
lyger lyger
MArooned
Mausers and Muffins
Miz Minka
Mrs. Widget
Mulligan Do Over
Mushy's Moochings
Myron's Mind Meanderings
Old NFO
Papa Delta Bravo
Ready, Fire, Aim, Apologize
Robb Allen
Roberta X
Rustmeister
Salamander
Searching for Oz
Silver The Evil Chao
Sleeping Ugly
SnarkyBytes
Something to Say
Speaker Tweaker
Squeaky Wheel
Thud
Tole's Place
TOTWTYTR
Tractor Tracks
Turk Turon
TXGUNGEEK
Unforgiving Minute
Victoria
View From the Porch
Vine
Vinogirl
Violent Indifference
Wing
Xavier Thoughts
A Keyboard and a .45
Adventures of Mauser Girl
aepilot_jim
Another Day...Another...
Atavist
Atomic Nerds
Ambulance Driver
Attila the Mom
Baby Troll Blog
Bad Tempered Zombie
Bayou Renaissance Man
Better and Better
Blackfork
Borepatch
Breda
Brown Valley Kingdom
Calvin's Mom
Carteach
The Chopping Block
Chris Ex Machina
Crucis' Court
Dalai Mama
Damn!
DBA Dude
DirtCrashr
Every Blade of Grass
Evyl Robot
Exile in Portales
Expert Witness
Fat Hairy Bastard
Fat in Indiana
Flying Flo's Forum
Free Thinker
Guffaw
Holly's Ramblin'
I Aim To Misbehave
If the Creek Don't Rise
In Jennifer's Head
John Shirley's Wandering Thoughts
LawDog
Lawyer With A Gun
Le Conteur
Linoge
Lucrative Pain
lyger lyger
MArooned
Mausers and Muffins
Miz Minka
Mrs. Widget
Mulligan Do Over
Mushy's Moochings
Myron's Mind Meanderings
Old NFO
Papa Delta Bravo
Ready, Fire, Aim, Apologize
Robb Allen
Roberta X
Rustmeister
Salamander
Searching for Oz
Silver The Evil Chao
Sleeping Ugly
SnarkyBytes
Something to Say
Speaker Tweaker
Squeaky Wheel
Thud
Tole's Place
TOTWTYTR
Tractor Tracks
Turk Turon
TXGUNGEEK
Unforgiving Minute
Victoria
View From the Porch
Vine
Vinogirl
Violent Indifference
Wing
Xavier Thoughts
Am I dreaming???
I be lovin' this SO HARD!
Sunday, Puppy Sunday: is it time for brekkie yet, ...
A true story from not so long ago...
*bafflement*
a little dose of The Pogues
Remembering Grandparents on St. Patty's Day
Another adorable Little Old Lady story.
Involuntary collaborations
Ikea tech graduate
I be lovin' this SO HARD!
Sunday, Puppy Sunday: is it time for brekkie yet, ...
A true story from not so long ago...
*bafflement*
a little dose of The Pogues
Remembering Grandparents on St. Patty's Day
Another adorable Little Old Lady story.
Involuntary collaborations
Ikea tech graduate
September 2002
November 2002
January 2003
March 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
March 2005
April 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
November 2002
January 2003
March 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
March 2005
April 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
TheCornered Cat * A MUST read
PopGlossShoeNirvana
Gallery of the Absurd - wickedly delicious
Independent Woman - Elbow
Robin Guthrie: Weblog
Arkansas Travel Site
