Michelle Malkin has a not-so-brief piece on a group of Marines held, now, for over a month in solitary confinement, escorted in shackles for the hour each day they are given outside their cells. THE CAMP PENDLETON 8, as Malkin calls them, have yet to be accused of anything. They are simply sitting there, not allowed direct contact with their families, not allowed contact with each other. No charges, no nothing. Just solitary.
According to media reports, they allegedly took an Iraqi man from his home, shot him, and then arranged the scene to make it look as though the man had attacked them first. Allegedly. But they have yet to be accused -- just treated as though they were convicted.
Now, I understand that an investigation is underway, but, does not every member of our armed forces qualify as a citizen? Is he not guaranteed the presumption of innocence? Certainly, if you are in doubt as to his performance in the future, pending an investigation, it makes sense to take his guns away and keep a close watch on him. If he's a flight risk, a cell might be an option, but two months in solitary? Locking eight men away without so much as a fare-thee-well to the Constitution while they poke around... that just doesn't seem right, to me.
Okay, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that once you enlist, you no longer have the rights of any other citizen to (a) presumption of innocence and (b) face your accuser, in light of allegations of criminal action. If this is truly the case, the grunts in uniform have even more of my respect (if, indeed, that were possible). It takes guts to stand up and fight for us when you've surrendered your American equality.
If I'm not wrong, then somebody upstairs in the Pentagon needs to get his act together and see to it that these Marines are afforded the same respect that the terrorists seem to get.
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