Stung by U.S. troops who burned scorpions alive
Published in Syracuse Post-Standard, Jan 07, 1993
Our military men and women are struggling proudly in
the face of serious dangers to bring humanitarian aid to needy and helpless
Somalis.
How ironic it is that our troops, as seen on the
national media, amuse themselves on this mission of mercy by burning
scorpions alive.
Admittedly, a soldier's killer instincts must be
heightened during dangerous missions; this is concomitant with the
psychology of armed forces. But a cruel diversion, such as the torture of a
small creature, goes far beyond combat readiness.
It is sadism, an illness we usually associate with our
enemies.
The scorpion we saw writhing in agony on NBC's Nightly
News could have been dispatched quickly and humanely with a boot heel, but
somehow the soldiers in question do not yet understand that mercy and
compassion are the underlying principles of Operation
Restore Hope.
It is with concern for America's national pride, the
international reputation of our armed forces and for compassion's sake that
I ask the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff to state that torture has absolutely no
part in any U.S. operation.
Rob English
Syracuse
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