Ah, yes, the old "According to a study" situation. Very interesting. Do you know who funded this study? What their focus was when the study was commissioned? I'm sorry, but such studies prove nothing beyond what the financier of said study desires. to really know what is what, a person needs to see the actual raw data. Now, does the study go on to break out deaths caused by coalition forces or insurgents? During combat operations or vbieds aimed at lovcals? Schools? Hospitals? C'mon Brad, without all the information in the raw form, the study means absutively nothing. You might as well line the ol' birdcage with it.
I do not support killing innocents, for you to say that is an irrational statement from an irrational mind. When our (American and Coalition) troops fire their weapons, the do it because they are under fire themselves. We have a strict, "Don't fire first" policy and there are actually steps we have to follow prior to pulling the trigger. Now, have Coalition troops killed innocents, ie - people who aren't actually firing a weapon at that moment (yes, men, women AND children)? Unfortunately, yes, and that sucks large. Those innocents were unfortunately in close proximity to those waste-of-oxygen insurgents who actually were pulling the trigger.
I do not live in a vacuum, and unfortunately, innocent people do die in a combat zone. I mourn for the children that have been killed/wounded due to our presence here. Now the other side of the coin.
The Coalition does not, and will not target those same innocents. That is exactly what the terrorists/insurgents/taliban are doing. They purposely set up explosives outside of hospitals, schools, etc... They deliberately target innocents to spread their message of terror and hate. They seek out and destroy families, whole generations of a family, that help coalition soldiers. They ambush and capture/torture/kill Iraqi police personnel. They chop off the heads of their captives on live television and brag about it. Heck, Brad, they're chomping at the bit to chop off YOUR head, and you are sympathetic to their cause. How's that for a big "Thank you kindly, sir".
I know that there is never going to be any "Meeting in the middle" on this. Too many people are anti-US no matter what the facts.
On that note, you know what I'd REALLY like to see? I'd really love for every person who is Anti-US who is living in the US to pack up and move over to the country they support. THAT would be an eye opener for them.
Hey, Brad, Are you going to Sturgis this year? I'd like to buy you a beer.
