If There Were a Stupidity Olympics...

Hardly a day goes by that I don't find something that makes me shake my head in amazement at its sheer stupidity. Each time I find something dumb I think to myself, no one can be that stupid - and then the next day someone will outdo it. Nevertheless, if there were a stupidity olympics, I think I've found the gold medalist.

An article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times was titled "Judge Orders Marine Reservist's Discharge," and it reported that a federal judge in San Jose had ordered the Marine Corps to grant a reservist's request for a discharge as a conscientious objector. So far, so good. But read this quote from the article:

"Lance Cpl. Robert Zabala, 23, said he joined the Marines as part of a family tradition of military service. But he said he was shocked during boot camp here (San Diego) to find such a strong emphasis on killing."

Think about that for a minute.

Can there be a person on the face of the earth who doesn't know that the United States Marines are respected and feared as some of the most proficient and deadly military forces in the world? Is there anyone in America who doesn't know about Belleau Wood, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and a hundred other places where this country's enemies met its most fearsome warriors? And yet this individual - who joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 2002 - has suddenly decided he's a conscientious objector who somehow didn't realize that the job of the Marines is to kill America's enemies, and to do it quickly and well.

Good riddance, one might say. If I were a Marine, I wouldn't want to depend on this schmuck to watch my back in battle. But he's getting a free ride. Better men than he are going into harm's way, and a federal judge has given him a pass. In years past, a conscientious objector would still have been held to his service commitment in a role that would not involve killing - as a medic or hospital orderly or in some other non-combat role...but evidently, not even that is required any more.

No rational human enjoys killing. Despite all the rhetoric of those who oppose war in general or Iraq in particular, it is very hard to find a military man or woman who has enlisted because of a desire to kill people. Military people tend to be far more wary of brute force than their civilian counterparts, usually because they are the ones at risk.

In a perfect world, we wouldn't need the Marines. But we don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world of evil dictators with designs on their neighbors, and religious bigots who believe God commands them to kill us because we believe differently. We live in a tough neighborhood, and because of that, we rely on the bravery and fidelity of tough people to do what we cannot do for ourselves.

George Orwell once said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Those rough men - and women - are the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have decided to stand up and be counted. They are the ones who take the ultimate risks so that we can sleep peaceably in our beds.

The former Lance Corporal Zabala has dishonored himself and, worse, has let down men and women who would have depended on him as part of their team. He will be released from his obligations without penalty, and will spend the rest of his life being protected by men and women better than himself.

And that's just wrong.

Have a good day. And always remember that one of the reasons you can have that good day in a land of peace and freedom is that rough men stand ready to do violence on your behalf.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo