Those who have read my posts over the years know that for all the online reading I do, I rarely highlight items as “required reading.” I may encourage people to read quirky stories or articles that may challenge their viewpoints, but I rarely play Oprah and place my stamp on a “must read.”
It is because I do this so rarely that I hope the following endorsement makes an impact:
Read this article!
And if you have the time, please read the accompanying article as well.
It tells the tale of a former U.S. Marine who has told a lot of stories about what he said he saw in Iraq. He has traveled the world recounting atrocities where American soldiers needlessly killed civilians – especially women and children.
Such words have earned him a lot of ink. You would think that will so many articles piling up people would start to realize he told varying accounts of different stories, but his discrepancies were largely ignored. You would also think that the countless reporters quoting him would look to other people from his battalion to verify his stories (especially one of the five embedded reporters that spent time with the Third Battalion), but no one did… until now.
Finally, former Marine Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey is being called on the multiple stories he has been peddling (most recently in his book “Kill, Kill, Kill” – which was published in France because he couldn’t land an American printer) by the same people who lived through the conflict with him.
The two reasons why I’m urging the reading of this article (and this isn’t only aimed at those I know who still walk the halls of the J-school, though I’d hope this subject is coming up in classes). I think everyone should take a long look at this because it spotlights an angle that the public rarely sees and because the writer is a person who I’ve met and for whom I have great respect.
To explain, let’s briefly look at the potential impact and societal ramifications of mud.
Introduce any toddler to a mud hole and you will soon see the principle proved that it’s easier to fling mud than to clean it off. It’s sticky, it leaves a mess, and it’s much more entertaining to watch it hit someone else rather than ourselves.
Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens famously remarked, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” This was originally a hyperbole; not as big a stretch as some of Clemens’ exaggerations, but still an overstatement. With the hyper acceleration of society (paired with an inverse reduction of attention spans), his comment has become frighteningly and regrettably accurate.
Shortened news cycles mean the stories that the media feature are preferably bigger, louder, and zippier. A flash in the pan requires only a pinch of gunpowder and a tiny spark and flame, fizzle, BOOM! Even before the smoke clears we should be primed for another blast.
The shortening of the time spent in the process leaves less room for the important steps of verification and less space for follow ups. This hurts the public and the press. Those how make decisions on flawed reports may inadvertently invalidate their decisions and a news organization is always hounded by co-workers who bruise the profession’s reputation.
As a reporter and copyeditor I have missed obvious mistakes in the race to deadline. It happens and slowing down won’t remove all errors. Mistakes are simply part of the process. Some say journalists produce the first draft of history. A “draft” indicates a version that may need re-working. Unfortunately, not everybody sticks around to catch the following drafts.
You need to be wary of where you get your information. Otherwise, you risk harming yourself should a cited source come back to haunt you. This shouldn’t be a concern that only haunts journalists (though I sometimes wish some newsmakers to more precautions against it). Looking for substantial evidence keeps other people honest (even if it is against their will) and, in theory, makes us smarter.
Of course, when the system breaks down, people like Massey can slip through the cracks.
I’ve done some Googling to show you some of his headlines and claims:
Killed Unarmed Iraqis, Ex-Marine Tells Hearing
“We were told to consider all Arabs as potential terrorists . . . to foster an attitude of hatred that gets your blood boiling.”
Ex-U.S. Marine: I Killed Civilians in Iraq
“I would say my platoon alone killed 30-plus innocent civilians.”
Marine tells of 'carte blanche' to kill
In response to Mr Nix’s query as to what was their "firing policy, Mr. Massey replied: “To shoot first and ask questions later. We were given carte blanche to kill.”
Ex-US Marine Asks Iraqis for Forgiveness
Citing a horrific incident against Iraqi civilians at the time, Massey said that he gunned down a number of Iraqi demonstrators during a protest in Baghdad's neighborhood of Al-Rashid in April of 2003, the month when US tanks rolled into Baghdad streets in a heartbreaking scene for the Arabs and Muslims. The demonstrators were civilian people, however, a US commander ordered his unit soldiers to open fire at the crowd, killing a number of protesters in cold blood.
Ex-Marine Says He Committed Atrocities
He alleges that over a period of a month and a half in 2003, his platoon killed more than 30 civilians in Iraq."We in fact, I feel, escalated the violence," he told The Associated Press in an interview.
Former US Marine Recounts Atrocities on Iraqi Civilians
The former marine said in one case shortly after April 2003, marines who heard a gunshot fired upon 10 Iraqi demonstrators shouting anti-US slogans and carrying banners reading "Go Home" near the sprawling Al-Rashid military complex southeast of the city center. All but one of the demonstrators were killed. None of them were carrying weapons as a sign of their peaceful intentions, Massey wrote.
Ex-Marine tells his story about US brutality in Iraq
In his book, " Kill! Kill! Kill!", he says he and other Marines in his unit killed dozens of unarmed Iraqi civilians because of an exaggerated sense of threat, and that they often experienced sexual-type thrills doing so.
Atrocities in Iraq: 'I killed innocent people for our government'
The intelligence reports that were given to us were basically known by every member of the chain of command. The rank structure that was implemented in Iraq by the chain of command was evident to every Marine in Iraq. The order to shoot the demonstrators, I believe, came from senior government officials, including intelligence communities within the military and the U.S. government.
These allegations are going to stick around for a long time. A recantation rarely earns as much ink as the original accusation. Many will keep on repeating his allegations and never know they’ve been disproved and withdrawn.
War is hell. It is never pleasant. The reporter covering this story knows this. He has gone to Iraq twice as an embedded reporter. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with him more than once. You can tell when he speaks that he is truly concerned about those in the military. He has fought hard to get their story heard.
Some news outlets are beginning to pick up the story. The other side is beginning to be heard. I do believe the truth always comes out in the end; it just takes time.
Without having spoken to him recently, I am sure he is pained by the sight of a former marine turning against his own. I guess Kanye West’s words do remain appropriate.
“We at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all, we at war with ourselves”
Here’s hoping the truth gets some traction sooner rather than later.
My Daily Struggles said...
Your blog certainly left me satisfied and smiling.