Jessica Lynch Awarded Bronze Star !

Kansas City Star ^ | 7/22/2003 | Gavin McCormick

[ex-Texan]

Just as I predicted months ago to loud criticism by several very vocal FReepers.

[Rodney King]

The awarding of spurious medals only cheapens the honor of those who deserved them. She did nothing to deserve the medal.

[ex-Texan]

From your lips to God's ears ! I will not post what I truly think about your post . . . but it is a vile slur.

[MEG33]

Well now what did they say she did?Could there be something you don't know?

[Rodney King]

Yeah, there could be. However the fact that they are not focusing on what she did would suggest that she didn't do anything but sit in a humvee that crashed. That's not meant as a disrespect to her, but there are probably a lot of guys in Iraq right now who did a lot more than that.

[Rodney King]

From your lips to God's ears ! I will not post what I truly think about your post . . . but it is a vile slur.

It's all relative. I think awarding a medal to her is a vile slur to everyone else who was engaged in combat. You can take the position that everyone deserves a medal, but in that case they should award a medal to everyone. What about the guys in her unit who died? I'll bet that some of them went down fighting. Don't they deserve medals? Isn't it a slur on them to give one to Lynch?

[MEG33]

I believe I'll withhold judgement until more is verified.

[zarf]

She was raped. That's why all the hush hush.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I can understand the Purple Heart, but the Bronze Star?

xzins, what do you think?

[Tailgunner Joe]

Women's Role in Combat Questioned

[rabidralph]

You don't know that. None of us knows what really happened.

[Rodney King]

To be clear, of course she deserves the Purple Heart. What bothers me is that she seems to be getting a medal solely for being a pretty white woman. What about the Apache pilot who was a POW? He's a man. What about the black lady who was a POW? She's black. I'm not saying that the Army takes that view, they are giving her the medal because she became a celebrity. But the reason she became a celebrity over the others is because she is a cute white woman. Oh, also because she lived. Her comrades who died did not have the opportunity to be POW's and celebrities, so they don't get any medals.

But hey, watch what is going to happen here. People will go absolutley nuts that by not favoring a bronze star for her, that we are attacking her. They will completely ignore that the awarding of a medal to someone who is undeserving is a much greater slur to those who died to earn theirs and those who did far more yet received nothing.

[Tailgunner Joe]

That's exactly the problem. What is the government hiding and why?

[Lijahsbubbe]

Why does everyone insist she was raped? It's almost like some kind of tabloid deal. I think it's a bad deal for Jessica to assume that. It would be sad to have everyone associating that with you if it didn't happen.

Do you remember the rest of her group that was rescued? I recall the woman from that group saying she was surprised how they were treated. She said she expected them to torture her or interrogate her, and instead they just sat down with a bottled water and asked her a couple of questions. Then they just kept shifting the prisoners off to different people.

[rabidralph]

Yeah, there could be. However the fact that they are not focusing on what she did would suggest that she didn't do anything but sit in a humvee that crashed. That's not meant as a disrespect to her, but there are probably a lot of guys in Iraq right now who did a lot more than that.

Meanwhile, there you sit, bravely hunkered down behind your keyboard, typing. And all those guys in Iraq will get their just reward from the DoD, but without the fanfare. I don't understant your bitterness.

[Rodney King]

You don't know that. None of us knows what really happened.

Yes, that's true. But, it is fair to speculate on this forum, as that is what we do 99% of the time. Also, it is just as fair to speculate that she did not deserve the medal as it is to speculate that she did.

My speculation is that even in the best scenario, her actions did not rise above many others in her unit, and certainly not over many others in other units. It is plain to see that she has thus in all liklihood been issued a medal because of her celebrity status.

[Tailgunner Joe]

She was given the medal precisely to put a feather in the cap of people who want non-combatant females on the front lines where they are more likely to be captured, tortured and raped.

Supposedly she tried to fight but her gun jammed. That's worth a bronze star these days?

[Tailgunner Joe]

Yeah those Iraqis are princes of hospitality.

If she wasn't raped then the government can clear this all up by letting her tell her story, but they won't because they want to hide their guilt for sending her into the enemy's clutches unnecessarily.

[Thorondir]

I'm OK you're OK. Yadda yadda. Medals for everyone! You're a special unique individual, just like everyone else. Blah, blah, blah, gobbledeegook. Black berets to make us ALL feel special, civilians, too! Let's all feel special! Blah blah. General stars for every service man; three stars for each woman! Can't we all just get along? PC is good. Criticism is bad. Nothing special, nothing controversial or disagreeable in this post. Nothin to pull about or get upset over. Everyone is beautiful, in his or her or their transgenderal own waaaaay! Let's all just feel wonderful and group hugs all around. Happy happy joy joy!

[Malesherbes]

Well, I'm glad she's getting it and will enjoy watching her homecoming to her little town in West Virginia. But, I'm still opposed to sending women into combat.