Neighbors Defend GI in Prison Abuse Case

[Rose Siding]

HYNDMAN, Pa. July 15, 2004 — Two months after he was sentenced to prison, Spc. Jeremy Sivits' neighbors will not accept that he is to blame for the role he played in the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
They say Sivits, described as an all-American boy who played semipro baseball for the Hyndman Merchants, has been railroaded by the military command that they insist should bear most of the responsibility for abuses at the prison.

"This is a shame on our country," said Tom Cunningham, Hyndman's mayor for 30 years. "There's been so many lies. ... This is not America."

Anger is seething in Hyndman, a town of about 1,000 people along the Maryland border.

On Wednesday, about 80 neighbors gathered to demand that Sivits be exonerated, that he be reinstated as a soldier, and that authorities issue a public apology to Sivits and his family. About 200 people gathered in May to hold a candlelight vigil for Sivits.

"We are damn angry," said Brandon Greise, who went to high school with Sivits. "Why is a Specialist E-4 the only one that's in jail? It's political. This is all political. We're looking at another Vietnam."

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040715_304.html

[Bunny]

1. I hope this prompts them to vote for Kerry. n/t

[DarkPhenyx]

2. What idiots.

While I agree that his superiors bear responsibility as well, this individual, or any of the soldiers involved, should in no way be exonerated. The stupidity of people in large groups is amazing.

[kodi]

5. i thought nuremberg settled this issue, apparently not

any person with even half a functioning brain stem knows right from wrong. the army still teaches it, and i dont think the army has changed much from when i was in it. what was done was wrong and the excuse of "only following orders" won't cut it.

[Calico Jack Rackham]

3. As a former Marine

I'll say that Jeremy Sivits and the rest of his torture crew are a shame on our country.

"This is a shame on our country," said Tom Cunningham, Hyndman's mayor for 30 years. "There's been so many lies. ... This is not America."

[DinahMoeHum]

4. If the folks in Hyndman still support that war-mongering missing link

squatting in the WH, then AFAIAC, they can eat shit.


:nopity:

[Rebellious Republican]

6. Out of the SEVEN service members accused of torture, how many

are from towns with small populations? I only know about Lyndie England and Sivits. Both are from small towns, is this coincidental that they are from small towns, are the others. Could these seven have been selected to burn because of the backlash against the Bush admin. Think about it, pick ones to be sacrificial lambs that will not have much of an effect on Bush when whole towns get pissed that higher ups are not being brought up on charges. Whats a couple of thousand votes to them, as opposed to a couple of 100,000 votes from sacrificial lambs from major populations. Just a thought thats all.
:shrug:

[struggle4progress]

7. If he pulled that shit in THEIR little community ...

... they'd all be screaming "Pervert!", throwing rocks through his windows, and calling at all hours of the day and night to suggest he leave town before he got hurt.

[WildClarySage]

8. Mom had an interesting comment the other day

why do we hold Saddam Hussein responsible for all the abuses that occurred in Abu Ghraib during his time as Iraqi prez, but * isn't responsible for any of the ones that have occurred under American watch? I realize that the individuals have the responsibility for what they did, but at the same time, an atmosphere of torture and abuse was encouraged by the * and Asscroft, making it ok.

Sometimes I really like my mom.