Civilians: What were their crimes?
The WikiLeak footage as described in Amy Goodman’s column [“Iraq’s war collateral damage includes civilians and journalists,” Opinion, April 9] is indeed graphic and horrific.
I am sure there will be those who say that some of the “civilians” killed were carrying AK-47s and possibly even a rocket-propelled grenade, which made them fair game.
And yet, regardless of whether they were carrying weapons, as I watched these Iraqis get summarily slaughtered by an Apache helicopter gunship flying too high to be seen or heard by its victims, a question came to mind: What, exactly, did these poor people have to do with 9-11?
— Dave Richards, Bainbridge Island
Comparing military service to video games unpatriotic
There was a time in the discourse of Seattle that heated, ignorant, mean-spirited opinions such as expressed by Daniel Ruuska [“WikiLeaks video shows 12 dead in Iraq army assault,” NWVoices, April 8] would not have been offered, let alone published. The portrayal of the U.S. military service and its members as gun-happy murderers is so blatantly offensive and uniformed it is beyond belief.
To make use of a tragedy to support one’s presupposed and errant opinions is classic far-leftist mantra. Throw out enough lies and filth often enough and it will be perceived as truth. Likening military service to limbic video-gamers and gang members is beyond the pale.
I doubt folks sharing Ruuska’s view have ever considered serving a higher cause by putting on a uniform and, as such, placing the country before the self. It is understandable —but no less deplorable —that our service members are once again spat upon when citizens will not honor the commitment and sacrifice these brave souls undertake. Instead, their service is marred by cowardice and self-serving vitriol.
— Mark Bowers, Issaquah