The American Marines Are Ever-So Polite …

I don’t know why every media organization in the world – except for those in the United States’ – portrays the American Marines negatively and points the spot light on offenses they commit in Iraq, such as the killing of 15 civilians in their homes – nine from a single Haditha family – doing nothing to provoke them, not even so much as spitting in the Marines’ direction.

So what if 15 Iraqis died in a raid? One thousand, one hundred and eleven Iraqis were killed last April, which means that on average, 35 were killed every day … that’s normal!!! The main issue here, is the way that misguided Arab media outlets ignore news stories that show the human side of the Marines …

Take, for example, the raid of one of the homes, when fully-armed Marines found nothing in the house but children and their mother. And they didn’t hurt anyone. Rather, with all politeness, they asked the children to go to a small room and stay there until given permission to emerge. The children were naturally very frightened, and they sat for a few minutes in the small room trembling with fear. But when they heard the laughter and playful banter of the Marine, they calmed down somewhat … what happened was that the Marines had entered a house with hopes of stumbling upon a terrorist or weapons cache. But after finding the children’s playing Play Station 2, they forget all about that mission. They also forget all about the children in the small room, and sat playing the game for hours, in the greatest of comfort. Judging from these events, I think I’d enjoy the traits and tendencies of the Marines, since I too like to play “Crash” on the Play Station too. Sometimes; I even play the terrorist with my youngest son. I’d say, “Go do your homework! Make me a sandwich!” All to keep him away from the game so I can enjoy it myself. And I’m still in love with cartoons like Tom & Jerry and really happy that Hollywood is producing full-length cartoons that are interesting. In fact, Tom and Jerry are still my favorite personalities.

In another event, the Marines inspected a house in Baghdad and were unable to find even a trace of fighters or weapons. But naturally, they didn’t leave empty-handed, because the American Army is disciplined, and any time they re in the field for an extended period, they must first ensure their own survival. What had they found and how many homes have you searched?

When it looked as though the house was free of any threat to their lives, and there was nothing there but an old lady, since her children has fled the city in fear for their lives, the Marines addressed the old lady with politeness mixed with firmness. And they asked her, “Cook us something we can eat. We’re bored of canned food … but ‘please’ we don’t want sheep’s head. We’re civilized!”

The old lady said loudly, “The strong prey on the weak.” And she cooked what meat and vegetables she had in the house and offered it to them while murmuring, “Take it. Godwilling it will turn to poison in your stomachs!” to which the Marines asked, “What?”

Smiling, the old lady said in Arabic, “Lord, send the lightning of a million kilowatts on their heads.” The Marines thanked her for the kind hospitality she showed them, and they ate their hot meal. They thanked her again when they left the house.

Now I ask you. With all this gentility, why is the media branding the Marines as barbaric?