Stripes letter on SPC's views re: the handling of the Quran

[lebkuchen]

I have two things I would like to talk about.

First, Gen. B.B. Bell showed up here for a couple of days. He went around and visited with the troops from Europe. That is what his visit was for. Yeah, right.

He visited everyone in Company F, 159th Aviation Regiment “Big Windy” besides the motor pool. We had to clean and make the motor pool all nice for him because he was supposed to show up. But I guess in his busy schedule he forgot about our motor pool.

Second is about the Quran in Cuba and how it was mistreated, or whatever. I think it will be out of line to punish our troops for that. These people burn our flag outside of base, yet it’s OK. Do you see anyone apologizing for that? Do you see anyone in trouble for that? If they burned our Bible or mishandled it, do you think anything would happen to them?

We are suppose to have freedom of religion and speech. It’s just a book and people need to get over it.

We televise it every time Americans do something wrong. I keep my family informed about what is really happening, or else most of the people in the United States would think we are bad people what with this and the Abu Ghraib scandal.

If we are going to report all the bad we do, we need to report the good also.

Spc. Tom Merchant
Bagram, Afghanistan

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=29488

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Newsweek will surely want to question Spc. Merchant's own handling of the Quran, as will the Pentagon. :sarcasm:

This is one of the reasons why Germany did not want to send troops to Iraq: the lack of troop training on Middle East/Central Asian cultural mores, which would eventually contribute to the current quagmire of the unwitting US troops' own making.

[Carolab]

1. Yes, Tom, I do.

"If they burned our Bible or mishandled it, do you think anything would happen to them?"

--And, furthermore, it's not "just a book" to THEM. It's a SACRED document. Dumbass.

[burrowowl]

10. Euh! Not the New Testament!

However, the FLAG. Oh! my god!
GITMO should not exist!

[democracyindanger]

2. But what he's really mad about

is that he had to clean up the motor pool and didn't get a pat on the head for it.

[lebkuchen]

3. Due to the lack of enlistments, the army/marines must dig deeper,

to the bottom-dwelling end of the gene pool, for more "boots on the ground." The days of "braincells in the cerebrum" are considered a bonus by today's military standards.

[texanwitch]

5. damn right, the kid down the street from me who tried to enter the Army

last year but was refused because of very low test scores, suddenly is now smart enough to go in.

He is a nice kid but he is slow, all he is going to be is cannon fodder.

[lebkuchen]

6. BTW, how old are you?

If you're 37 or under, and having second thoughts about your civilian career, the Infantry wants YOU!

[texanwitch]

7. I just turned 40, you couldn't get me back in the Army.

I did 4 years active, mostly in Europe.

That's all the government is getting out of me.

[lebkuchen]

8. Pretty please?

[texanwitch]

9. No, don't think so.

I did have a good time in Europe, travled alot. I made some very good friends, received some excellent training but the Army wasn't for me. I like to think for myself.

[karlrschneider]

4. 'twould seem so.

:eyes: