[Skywarner]

"I'm amazed at how many people here see nothing wrong with Rumsfeld taking a piece of the plane while others are [b]criminally[/b] charged for doing similar things at the WTC site. Shouldn't the rules apply to everyone equally?

OK, let's examine the facts, shall we? [We all know that the facts are something in short supply over at DU....]

FACT: Rumsfeld is the Secretary of Defense

FACT: Rumsfeld was physically at the Pentagon meeting with top military leaders about the developing situation in NYC when the Pentagon itself was attacked.

FACT: Immediately after the attack, Rumsfeld and his staff went to survey the on site situation and assited in the initial rescue efforts. They did this despite the risk to their personal safety and to the objections of other staff members.

FACT: In the days after 9/11, Rumsfeld carried out his orders to plan, coordinate and execute military operations against OBL and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

FACT: As part of that deployment of forces, military units were presented with a few token artifacts from all three attack sites. If I recall correctly, one of the flags found at Ground Zero was sent to Afghanistan just as an example. NYC Fireman send over numerous personal items to remind the troops what this fight was all about.

I would now like to address your comment about civilians being criminally charged for taking items from the WTC site. Yes, IMHO, they should have been charged. If there was no enforcement, then anyone and everyone would have been down there taking momentos from Ground Zero, thus resulting in a potential loss of evidence and study.

I could go on and on, but I hope by now you get the point. These folks were tasked with the ulimate mission of taking the fight to our enemy -- our first response to the start of World War III. If the tables were turned and the Secretary of Defense had been a Democrat, I would feel the same way. It's not like he collected souvenirs to sell on eBay!