When we start stooping to their level, what right do we as a public have to be shocked and appalled?
Doesn't this intimate that at one time we did not do things like this? That our troops have, at one time, been "above" such things? Because if so, when would that have been?
If we indicte the armed services as a whole, no, we've never been above such antics and never will. But the difference is that we continue to hold ourselves to a higher standard, or at least communicate that we do.
To parallel (but not equate), we Nebraska fans en masse have upheld standards to be welcoming to visiting fans, to be respectful of other teams, and to be good sports, win or lose. But just because we have a few idiot fans, does that reflect on the entirety of the whole fanbase? No, it doesn't. Do we as a fanbase then go back and revise our standards because of the actions of a few twits that behaved boorishly? No, we maintain our existing standards as a fanbase, and the result is that we are known as one of the best (if not *the* best) fanbase in all of college sports. Additionally, it afords us the comfort of richeous indignation when other fanbases (see Colorado 2007, IIRC) act in a horrible manner towards us and helps to cement our reputation.
Our military has standards which help maintain disipline and maintains respect throughout the world. Do the actions, like what these kids undertook, happen? Yes. But when you lower the standards because of their actions, that gives tacit approval for this sort of dehumanizing behavior to happen. As a result, where is our justification in the public being upset when an enemy does to our men what we have publicly done to them?
Perhaps I should have defined 'stooping' better, but I feel that being dismissive, or worse, accepting (e.g. Rick Perry) of this incident undermines the standards we have in place. And then what right do we have to condemn others for actions that we have taken ourselves?
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And no, I don't want the book thrown at these kids--their actions were stupid, and if anything, it should serve as a learning exercise for how not to act for everyone else serving. Hell, if anything, I wouldn't even dishonorably discharge them--I'd instead let them work Public Relations (indirectly--direct would likely be too dangerous) with the Afghans so they could perhaps one day understand the enormity of their actions and why we have standards in place that prohibit their actions.
