Ex-Abu Ghraib Guard Named to Rec Board (Lynndie England)

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

(AP) KEYSER, W.Va. - Lynndie England, one of the most recognizable figures of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq, has a new role as a member of this Eastern Panhandle city’s volunteer recreation board.

England, 24, contributed her knowledge of computers, electronics and graphics for Keyser’s Strawberry Festival, which helped her land the unpaid position, said Roy Hardy, the England family’s attorney.

"When (council members) saw how hard she worked for the festival, they didn’t hesitate to put her on the board," said Hardy, who is also a board member. "If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off (the Strawberry Festival). She was an absolute asset."

England handled the festival’s advertising, scheduled entertainment acts and helped set up vendor booths and stages, among other things. She also helped organize a spring fishing contest and the city’s Independence Day activities.

"Basically we recognized her this year for helping out," Keyser Mayor Glen Shumaker said Friday.

Read more: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S138680.shtml?cat=162

[PSPS]

1. They should be very proud of her!

After all, she's multi-talented! See for yourself! Her smile shows how much she likes her job.

[MADem]

2. She was WRONG, but she was also stupid, manipulated, and used.

I don't think she joined the Army to torture people.

I hope she continues to work on trying to 'give back' through public service. She can't undo what she did, but I really think that those above her--well above her--in the chain need to do some serious time, too.

[grytpype]

17. I think what happened to Lyndie was a tragedy.

Not one of the worst tragedies of the war, by any means, but a tragedy.

She was following orders. Soldiers are trained to follow orders.

[MADem]

19. She was in a situation where she was taking orders from the guy she was screwing.

There was absolutely ZERO "good order and discipline" in her unit. It made the military discipline in M*A*S*H look like the most rigorous boot camp by comparison.

[Solly Mack]

3. ....

....

[MichiganVote]

4. Since she works to redeem herself I say we should leave her alone.

[Ian David]

5. It could be worse. She could be on the WATER board. n/t

[Ian David]

6. See prior thread:s The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

See prior threads:

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=226x5446

None of us are all good or all evil - The Lucifer Effect.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x129640

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x134024

[Caution]

7. Hopefully she's making an honest effort to be a better person

People can rehabilitate themselves and should be given the opportunity to do so.

[orleans]

8. oh good

she was an absolute asset to the strawberry festival.

AND WHAT DID SHE DO WITH ALL THOSE STRAWBERRIES WHEN THE FESTIVAL WAS OVER???

[othermeans]

9. Does anybody know what happened to that second set of photos and videos that the court said should

released?

[Phrogman]

12. You mean the rape and humiliation video tapes?

The ACLU was on top of those, but as far as I know, they're not public.

[othermeans]

22. Thanks. Iremember the court saying that they should be released but

guess the justice department appealed that.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. There are people who should pay a hieger price for Abu Ghraib than she

[MisterP]

11. hate to see what events she came up with--'sides, isn't she in jail?

[Auntie Bush]

18. I heard she didn't get charged because

she was to retarded to stand trial. I always wondered how she ever got in the military is she was so stupid. She doesn't sound stupid to me...in fact she sounds damn smart.

I don't remember where I heard that or if it's true.

[MADem]

21. Untrue. She served half her sentence. NT

[MADem]

20. She was released. It's in the link in the OP.

England was released in March from a military prison in San Diego after serving half her 36-month sentence. She was convicted of six counts involving prisoner mistreatment. Eleven U.S. soldiers have been convicted of crimes at the prison near Baghdad.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

13. I would like to think...

That anyone can redeem themselves, eventually.

Thoughts like that make life just that little more bearable.

[USA_1]

14. England is a rapist

... several people died as a result of her actions and that of her fellow conspirators. Everybody always demands capitol punishment when it happens here in the USA. Let's do it to her and those murderers who did it to those innocents. As always, apply the same standard to everyone.

Lex talionis.

[uppityperson]

15. Supervised, I hope, if she is around people.

[MilesColtrane]

16. Fuck her.

I wonder how many people dedicated their lives to killing Americans after seeing photographs of what was going on in Abu Ghraib.

Without soldiers who willingly go along with illegal orders, Rumsfeld, Bush, and Cheney are just harmless, shriveled, insane, old men.