Proud to be…

In debate (a competition I used to judge) it’s important to be able to advance and defend the arguments on either side of an issue. Under the most rigorous rules you must do both, in friendlier competition positions are assigned randomly.

I find the key (outside of understanding the rules and building logical and progressive, in the sense of organization, presentations) is having empathy and understanding of the opposing viewpoint so a sympathetic narrative can be constructed.

Sometimes that’s hard to do.

Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?
You don’t have to answer that question!
I’ll answer the question!
You want answers?
I think I’m entitled to.
You want answers?
I want the truth!

You can’t handle the truth!

Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg?

I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.

You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Did you order the Code Red?
I did the job I…
Did you order the Code Red?

You’re Goddamn right I did!

Muslim recruit called a “terrorist” and hazed commits suicide, now up to 20 Marines face discipline
by Sophia Tesfaye, Salon
Friday, Sep 9, 2016 04:49 PM EST

Twenty year-old Pakistani-American Muslim Raheel Siddiqui left his robotics and engineering program at the University of Michigan and arrived at Parris Island as a U.S. Marine Corps recruit on March 7. By March 18, he had leapt 40 feet to his death after enduring anti-Muslim hazing and physical abuse. Now, up to 20 Marines face criminal charges or administrative action after three investigations found multiple violations of policies and procedures at the key recruiting outpost.

The young recruit from Taylor, Michigan, wanted to be a jet mechanic in the Marines, and eventually an F.B.I. agent. But Siddiqui had been just 11 days into his training with Kilo Company, known unofficially as “The Thumping Third” for its rough treatment of recruits and drill instructors alike, when he jumped to his death off the third floor of a Marine barrack on March 18. He death was ruled a suicide, but Siddiqui’s family insisted from the beginning that the former high-school valedictorian would not have taken his own life unless under extreme duress.
…
Investigators found Marines operating with impunity in an environment lacking in supervision and proper leadership, according to the Wall Street Journal, who spoke with Marine officials who described details of the completed investigations. Siddiqui had reportedly threatened to kill himself within a week of his arrival on Parris Island as part of the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion after enduring islamophobic hazing from one unnamed drill instructor in particular. The young recruit had no history of mental illness before joining the Marine Corps. The Washington Post summarized what the internal investigations found.
…
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the unnamed instructor had previously been accused of putting another Muslim recruit in a dryer.
…
However, “poor investigative” techniques led the command to discount the allegations, allowing the drill instructor to stay on the job, according to the Marines’ latest report. The Marine Corps would not identify the drill instructor.

Marine officials fired the three most senior Marines in charge of Siddiqui’s unit and removed from duty each of the other commanders and senior enlisted leaders identified for possible charges or administrative punishment.

They’re Muslim, they’re Black, they’re Hispanic, they’re other. They’re different than us. They have no rights we are bound to respect. There are no rules except those we impose (exempting ourselves mind you, because we’re exceptionally righteous). This is WAR son.

As I say, sometimes constructing a sympathetic narrative is hard to do, especially if the viewpoint is sufficiently deplorable.

Colonel Jessup said he ordered the Code Red! What did we do wrong? What did we do wrong? We did nothing wrong!

Yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn’t fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.