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From: csanders@ucbvax.ARPA (Craig S. Anderson)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: American Hostages
Message-ID: <10079@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 01:13:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10079
Posted: Thu Aug 22 01:13:30 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 14:34:09 EDT
References: <1042@ihlpg.UUCP> <185@pyuxii.UUCP> <11045@rochester.UUCP> <1399@uwmacc.UUCP> <333@SCIRTP.UUCP> <726@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP>
Reply-To: csanders@ucbvax.UUCP (Craig S. Anderson)
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 47

In article <726@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP> omo@mcnc.UUCP (Julie Omohundro) writes:
>On Americans in war zones deserving what they get:
>
>I can sort of see your point, but I find this attitude bothersome,
>because it seems to echo statments I heard in the 50s and 60s
>about how blacks who got beaten up for trying to enter all-white
>establishments or segregated schools were getting their just deserts.
>Also statements then and now about women wearing provocative clothing
>or walking alone at night deserving to get raped.
>
>Do you also agree with these statements?  Or do you perceive some
>real difference between principles that I'm not sure I do?

I don't think you are making proper analogies.  The group was in the area
for the express purpose of stopping contra attacks with their presence
on the river.  While I don't think they 'deserved' what they got,
they knew the risks when they undertook the mission.  A more consistant
analogy is if I tried to stop the violence in Beirut by getting a group together
and  walking along the Green Line.  My intentions would be good, but I
should not be surprised if someone got shot.  Nor should I complain too loudly,
because that could be expected to happan.  The analogy that was offered
to the Americans in Lebanon who got kidnapped is not valid, because
they were trying to educate the Lebanese, report the news, etc. but
not trying to stop the violence by walking around during a rocket attack.
>
>Also, there seems to be an assumption that all Americans traveling
>or living in politically unstable areas are just tourists on a
>frivolous lark (for some, a wicked sin apparently, punishable
>by any barbarian torture popular with local insurgents that week).
>
>
>I would certainly extend this to the Marine who died at
>the Beirut airport, and I would never even momentarily consider
>serving in any branch of the armed forces, anywhere, anytime.
>In my own belief system, the fellow was a fool for joining up the first place.

I think you have a somewhat warped value system to call the people who
are defending this nation 'fools'.  They are paid (not too well) to put
their lives on the line so we may continue to enjoy our freedoms back home.
I am glad that there are a great many Americans, both past and present,
who did consider serving in the armed forces when their country needed them.
You unwillingness to serve 'anywhere, anytime' show that you are unwilling
to fight, when necessary, for the benefits of living in the U.S.  Freedom
does not come for free.  It must be paid for in blood.

Craig Anderson
csanders@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU