Posted on 01/18/2008 8:37:54 PM PST by Graybeard58
Despite predictions the military surge in Iraq would increase death tolls, the counter-insurgency strategy has brought U.S. and Iraqi casualties way down, improved conditions in Iraq and put al-Qaida on the run.
With so much good news, what are the nattering nabobs to do? Why, make up bad news, of course. And who better to do it than the anti-war New York Times? "Across America, Deadly Echoes of Foreign Battles" blared the Sunday headline for a front-page Vietnam flashback that essentially said soldiers and Marines who became crazed bloodthirsty baby-killers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have transitioned into civilian life as bankrupt alcoholic homicidal maniacs.
As the Times spins it, since 2003, 121 returning veterans suffering from "combat trauma and the stress of deployment" have committed or been charged with homicides. Disagreement exists over how many Americans have fought in the war, so taking the midpoint of 500,000, the veterans' homicide rate is 24.2 per 100,000. According to the Department of Justice, the homicide rate for soldier-aged U.S. civilians (18-24) is 27. The veterans' number already is lower, but 24.2 covers five years, so on an annual basis, the rate actually is less than 5. As much as the Times presented 121 homicides as an alarmingly high number, the truth is returning soldiers are five times less likely to kill than their civilian cohort.
Each killing was tragic, and it's unfortunate young people who have sacrificed so much and exhibited so much patriotism and courage would run afoul of the law upon their return. But they are disserved and their service disrespected when the Times, despicably even by its standards, perpetuates negative stereotypes to protect its investment in America's defeat.
Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.
If you want on or off this list, let me know.
Well put, and too true.
At first, I thought the title was referring to McCain supporters.
The defeat of America has always been the objective of the NY Slimes.
I started to analyze some of the figures but found a better article on this through Google..
URL http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/the_media_does_it_again.php
Gist of that article is that for veterans of the Iraq-Afghanistan war the rate is 7.8/100,000 vs the civiliam murder rate of 26.5/100,000....I saw one other report giving about the same result but i forgot which one it is and didn’t bookmark the link...
Bottom line: Veterans are better disciplined and better self-controlled than the ordinary citizen..That’s also why they make better employees....so-—another myth de-bunked...
Make no mistake, screw with my son (USMC combat vet) and I guarantee he will, in the right situation, kill you ab-so-lutely dead so fast you won’t see it coming.
He is also, without a doubt, one of the most gentle and kindest people I know. I guess the not knowing what "the right situation" is has some folks nervous. Vets are far less of a risk than gang-bangers, illegals, crack/meth heads and so on. Pray for our warriors, they can use all the help they can get....
self-ping
I hear ya ASOC..loud and clear..vets ARE far less of a risk than the gang-bangers, etc...
But here is something else the Media misses: they use a broad brush to paint all veterans the same..They don’t stop to consider that even among veterans, there are hundreds of thousands who serve as logistic and clerical support...I don’t want to see the press brand them all with bad names..They don’t deserve that, not when they are defending our country and helping other countries to stand firm...
Th eNY Times lead article was the most despicable piece of false reporting I have ever seen in my life.
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NEVER FORGET
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MEL’s -PASSION- sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/posts
http://www.Freerepublic.com/~aloharonnie/
http://www.Freerepublic.com/~anita1/
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NEVER FORGET
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Plus combat veterans are overwhelming male, and males commit the overwhelming number of willful homicides. In addition the Times' number of 121 includes 25 vehicular homicides. Shheeesh.
Good point. If the data were adjusted for sex, it would show veterans as more law abiding to an even greater degree.
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