Someone In The Main Stream Media Finally Gets It

Pillorying the Army will not help right to triumph in Iraq

The UK Telegraph makes a great point about the medias twisting of the facts and efforts to undermine the efforts in Iraq:

The reaction of Arab commentators is relatively easy to explain. Opportunities to occupy the high moral ground are rare and, when they come along, they jump on them.

The tone of the British press is slightly harder to fathom. How is it that the alleged actions of three lowly soldiers, reprehensible though they may be, severely undermine the reputation of the other 111,777?

If the standards that sections of the media are applying to the Army were imposed on doctors, the entire medical profession would have to hang its head every time a GP went off the rails. Ditto policemen, lawyers, accountants - even journalists.

The reason for this searing scrutiny is political. For those opposed to the Iraq war, the scandal reinforces the argument that, launched as it was on a false prospectus and prosecuted (at least on the American side) with incompetence and disregard for human life, all those engaged in it are morally tainted.

The whole adventure may be riddled with ethical confusions. But it is grossly unfair to link the alleged wrongdoing of a handful with the blameless conduct of the 65,000 men and women - half the British Army - who have rotated through Iraq.

Not just blameless, but admirable. Anyone who has seen British soldiers at work in and around Basra can vouch for the cheerfulness and restraint with which they go about their task. Their living conditions are grim. Fun is an alien concept. The natives for the most part may appear to be friendly, but the threat of an ambush or a car bomb is never far away.

No one wants to be there, but no one really complains - at least no more than usual. Despite the daily diet of depressing news, commanders persist in believing that the mission is worthwhile and that Iraq will get there in the end.

Just like in our own media, with Abu Ghraib, the actions of a few are supposed to reflect on the behavior of our entire military. This is clearly not so. The seven Army Reservists involved in the Abu Ghraib "scandal" are not a clear representation of our military. The actions of those 7 do not speak for the near millions of men an women in uniform.

It is time for the media, which is supposed to be an unbiased outlet for information, to step up to the plate and print a balance of information. Yes, things like Abu Ghraib are terrible, but what about the hundreds of thousands of us who have been rotated through Iraq and Afghanistan more than once and served with honor and integrity?

We need to hear of more school openings, and commerce and the elections. More stories of the Iraqi appreciation and less of the focus on the rogue few who fight against the coalition.

Major news outlets need to not only step up but grow up, show your support for our troops and maybe just maybe a hint of patriotism.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at January 20, 2005 11:03 AM