"those bleeding hearts at the ACLU" --Need help with rumor thread

[SemiCharmedQuark]

I got this bulletin in MySpace. I don't know what the heck it is referring to. It is very vague. But I sure as hell don't trust a damn thing Bill O Reilly says.

"
US Marine in Iraq
Body: About the U.S. Marine in Iraq who shot and killed an
enemy combatant who was pretending to be dead but in
reality was alive. If you have any feelings for this
Marine who was doing his job then please read and help
take action for this American Hero. I am asking all
who receive this message to add your name in support
of the young Marine accused of murdering a combatant
in Iraq.

He called out to his buddies that the person was
faking, the person apparently made a suspect move and
the marine shot him dead. There was another combatant
in the room who identified himself as being
wounded.....The marines did not shoot him. The
do-gooders and bleeding hearts at the ACLU are
claiming the marine is guilty of a war crime.
This is ridiculous!

Bill O'Reilly of the Fox News Channel feels there is
overwhelming support for this young Marine - Let's
prove him right - we can make a difference!

The servicemen fighting for our freedom and safety
deserve our support.

Support is indicated by adding your name to the list
that follows. Best to copy and paste, then add your
name to the list or, press "forward" and send to
everyone in your address book you think should read
this. You can only add your name after you have
pressed "forward" or "copy and paste" don't delete
any names - just go to the next number and type your
name."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I think it is vague, too.

There was a Marine who was court martialed because he used undo force in killing a couple of Iraqis-his defense was that he felt they were faking being unarmed. As I recall, he was convicted. This sounds like a variation of this case, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was something made up to counteract this case.

Anything that was truly legit would have named names and places and cited sources about the case.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. Thanks so much for your help :)

[LiberalinNC]

2. Well if Bill O'liar says it's true it must be!

:sarcasm:

[highplainsdem]

3. Check this Snopes.com link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/marine.asp

[SemiCharmedQuark]

12. Thank you so much for the link :)

[Bridget Burke]

4. In May 2005, Navy investigators determined he acted in self defense.

But the incident was NOT as clear cut as this rancid bit of Spam indicates.

www.snopes.com/politics/military/marine.asp

Always check Snopes first.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. Thanks very much. I didn't know what to look for on Snopes.

It was very vague

[Bridget Burke]

20. Actually, I didn't check Snopes first.

I pasted a phrase from the Spam into Google. Snopes.com came up first. Then I got a list of sites repeating the half-truth.

Kind of like how I found out who was promoting the "Cindy Sheehan Jumps the Shark" concept. No mention at Snopes, since it's just an opinion thing. But the sites where it did appear revealed a lot about DU'ers who were parroting the phrase.

[Mr_Spock]

5. I love the ACLU!! If they said it, it must be so! (unless O'Liar is to...

be believed) :rofl:

I'll take the ACLU's word over O'Liely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before I'd consider a single work O'Liely says.

This is bullcrap - I hate seeing stuff like this...

Lying RW murderers at it again...

[LostinVA]

6. Why would the ACLU get involved with this?

To me, that's the FIRST thing that proves this is nutso...

[SemiCharmedQuark]

18. Well, why lose a perfectly good reason to bash the ACLU?

[realisticphish]

7. Correct me if im wrong

but that's more of an amnesty international deal. the ACLU is the AMERICAN civil liberties union. as far as i know, the iraqi was not an american, so i doubt the ACLU would get involved

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. Ha!

I didn't even catch that!

[guruoo]

8. Here you go...

Story, video:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6496898/

Analysis:
Claim: A U.S. Marine killed an unarmed, injured Iraqi insurgent.
Status: True.
Example: ...
http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/marine.asp

[SemiCharmedQuark]

14. Thank you for the links. I probably will need them when I get a reply bac

[DBoon]

9. My defense of the ACLU in general

Freedom isn't just for people who are intelligent, attractive, and sympathetic.

Freedom is for the ugly, stupid, and mean as well.

If we don't defend the rights of people we don't like, then the people we do like soon won't have any rights either.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. I agree. There's nothing worse than arguing for the rights of the

Klan to march. But that is their right.

[DBoon]

21. If the Klan is kept from marching

Then soon we will be kept from marching.

[guruoo]

10. First hand account

http://www.kevinsites.net/2004_11_21_archive.html
<snip>
The lieutenant asks them, "Are there people inside?"

One of the Marines raises his hand signaling five.

"Did you shoot them," the lieutenant asks?

"Roger that, sir, " the same Marine responds.

"Were they armed?" The Marine just shrugs and we all move inside.

Immediately after going in, I see the same black plastic body bags spread around the mosque. The dead from the day before. But more surprising, I see the same five men that were wounded from Friday as well. It appears that one of them is now dead and three are bleeding to death from new gunshot wounds. The fifth is partially covered by a blanket and is in the same place and condition he was in on Friday, near a column. He has not been shot again. I look closely at both the dead and the wounded. There don't appear to be any weapons anywhere.

"These were the same wounded from yesterday," I say to the lieutenant. He takes a look around and goes outside the mosque with his radio operator to call in the situation to Battalion Forward HQ.

I see an old man in a red kaffiyeh lying against the back wall. Another is face down next to him, his hand on the old man's lap -- as if he were trying to take cover. I squat beside them, inches away and begin to videotape them. Then I notice that the blood coming from the old man's nose is bubbling. A sign he is still breathing. So is the man next to him.

While I continue to tape, a Marine walks up to the other two bodies about fifteen feet away, but also lying against the same back wall.

Then I hear him say this about one of the men:

"He's fucking faking he's dead -- he's faking he's fucking dead."

Through my viewfinder I can see him raise the muzzle of his rifle in the direction of the wounded Iraqi. There are no sudden movements, no reaching or lunging.

However, the Marine could legitimately believe the man poses some kind of danger. Maybe he's going to cover him while another Marine searches for weapons.

Instead, he pulls the trigger. There is a small splatter against the back wall and the man's leg slumps down.

"Well he's dead now," says another Marine in the background.
<snip>

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. Thanks for the help

[LuCifer]

19. IF the ACLU is SOOOOOO "librul" then why did they...

...defend the KKK? Oh yeah, and oxyRUSHitler Limpnoodle?!?!?!

Lu