Some things just aren’t news
I guess I should say this publicly so some of you don’t think I’m ignoring you or your tips. This is my blog, that’s my real name at the bottom of this post, so I get to set policy here. All of that bullshit that you’ve been reading in that entity which calls itself our media about SSG Bales’ personal life is exactly that – bullshit. Someone coughed up the $39.95 for a People Search account and dug up a whole bunch of shit on his financial woes and his arrest record. Any of you with an extra 40 bucks could do the same from the comfort of your home computer. I’ve done it when it was germane to the story. But in this case, it doesn’t matter.
The media is trying to find explanations for Bales’ crime when there is none. In the event the government proves that he did kill those 16 Afghans in cold blood that Sunday morning a week ago, there will be no motive, anymore than Ted Bundy had a motive. Can you think of a reason to kill 16 innocent people? Of course you can’t. Because you’re a reasonable person. Bales actions that morning can not be mitigated. But the media is trying to explain the unexplainable. It’s journalistic malpractice. The only people who will end up bearing the burden of this unprofessional behavior is Bales’ family, who in the end, regardless of the outcome, will have to live among us – and that should shame the press, but it probably won’t.
My opinion is that Bales is guilty, and he’s the only one who perpetrated the crime. I don’t know what triggered his break with common decency, but I know it can’t be blamed on the military, it can’t be blamed on his debts, or decades-old arrests, or even on PTS.
As one of you said yesterday, what Bales did took a measure of planning. And he was fully conscious of the fact that what he was doing was wrong. Regardless of his prior exemplary service, it only takes seconds to go to “Aw, shit”.
Anyway, if you’re wondering why I haven’t posted your links or commented on them, that’s why. Some things the media thinks is news just isn’t, except in their minds.
Category: Media
Well said John.
My only fear would be that this is part of an over-arching narrative being played out in the press that paints vets as unstable killing machines who are only one fender bender away from climbing a water tower with a deer rifle and shooting kids in a playground.
I did wonder about his joining the Army at the age of 26-27. It is somewhat rare to see an “old-timer” as a private in basic training (OK some exceptions to the rule… but is still rare). The background of his “financial woes” made it clear. 9-11 notwithstanding!
Its kids hard to blame this on heat of the moment, passion, drunken stupor or whatever when he attacks one house, then walks, what, half a mile to attack another house. Things still don’t add up, but in the end they may never add up. The problem is that weak minded people will use this as an excuse to inject a multitude of crackpot conspiracy theories.
Gotta concur–no matter how shitty your life is back home, it 1–ain’t as bad as the sandbox, 2–doesn’t justify killing ONE innocent person, let alone 16 of them.
Again, I hope justice is served, but to all those who think any or all of us are “piling on”, you would be incorrect. Think of what he did, and how it affects EVERY person in a uniform today before you go defending the indefensible.
🙂 I did post one article on the facebook page… and almost for the same reason you did not. I feel that his “debt” did not trigger his break, but when a man has a history of shortcuts, or taking from others, (ethics or criminal violations) he is much more likely to blame others for his problems, foster hate…etc etc.
At least not all the media is taking the same line:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_crazed_vet_myth_QQ7tjSzbfT6VWP3wMrNrrO
The pics of the dead look a little – no alot like theatre to these eyes, not to mention they are now saying 20 more soldiers were involved.
Ya wanna give a source for that claim of “20 more soldiers were involved”, akak?
But the head of an Afghan parliamentary delegation has told the BBC he has heard evidence from local villagers which suggests as many as 20 US soldiers were involved.”
http://publicintelligence.net/nearly-20-soldiers-may-have-been-involved-in-afghan-massacre/
I would start by saying the source(s) is/are well you know, but that is the whole point. What is the truth?
Hadn’t seen that. Thanks.
It’s always best to know what obvious bullshit is being thrown around out there. Some people still believe in the Grassy Knoll Theory.
If there were 20 troops in the village, a body count of 16 sounds low. I guess they need more range time. And it looks like they had a real congregation of CSI rocket surgeons investigating, too. Yeah, I’d trust that link.
Myself and a lot of vets from my generation are having a hard time dealing with this, because we know that so many things are not black or white. There was a decision I could have made and I could be in a similar situation. We really don’t know what his intentions were that night and I keep putting myself in his shoes and it is rough, because the insanity makes sense. I have a feeling that not everyone in those houses were so innocent, but that is where things end. Yes I kinda take attacks against him personal, because in my mind they are attacks against all of us. Not all of us have perfect pasts crap dig deep enough in my closet you’ll discover my screwed up family and that is enough for guilt by association.
Just in case anyone is worried I am going to group today.
In today’s day and age I think it would be damned near impossible to cover the involvement of 19+ the suspect.
I think the idea that a single person did it is perfectly reasonable, but most civilians can’t wrap their head around how easy it would be for someone with the right ‘moves’ to mount a body count like that on an unprepared and stationary ‘target’. Or they can imagine it, but don’t want to dwell on it because it makes them profoundly uncomfortable to think they them selves could be snuffed out so easily, randomly, and in so short a time.
@14 JPJ. Good. And yes, I think I can voice for everyone here that we have been concerned about you. Take care.
I don’t think it’s as rare to see 26-27 year old privates in basic these days, Beretverde. At least it was a few years back when they raised the age limit in the Army to 42 for initial enlistees. Heck, I tried to get in when I was 38-39 years old. There’s multiple stories of guys in their early 40’s who actually went infantry and thrived in their roles.
As for this Bales character, I totally agree with Jonn. There’s absolutely no excuse. But some of the links I sent does give an insight into the kind of guy he was. He defrauded a couple and skirted the law as a financial type before he joined the Army. So we’re already dealing with a dirt bag here, and I think that is a perfect counter to those trying to portray him in a sympathetic manner and excusing his heinous crimes.
Jason: I’ve always found that talking things out helps sort them out – particularly the bad stuff. Best of luck, amigo – and never be afraid to reach out for help if things get to be too much.
I wonder if the media can’t accept that evil actions happen. So they have to create all these “explanations” and “reasons” for an evil action.
And with others, I’m very not happy with how this seems to be turning into the “veteran with PTSD goes nuts, all veterans have PTSD, therefor . . .” garbage.
I agree with you Tman, the image emerging of Bales is not a pretty one, and I do think it’s germane to the discussion. It doesn’t excuse his actions, nor is it supposed to, I just believe it gives enough back ground on the character of the man to reveal a weak criminal personality, all of which makes his actions easier for me to understand.
Jacobite: Ref comment 15 – agreed. The guy at VA Tech took out 30+ in 2007. And the Fort Hood shooter took out 12 or 13, if I recall correctly.
Against an unarmed population, someone with a firearm – particularly an automatic weapon – can murder literally dozens before they can be stopped.
The ’20 soldiers thing’ — think about it. The murders occurred within a mile or so of the base.
The guards at the base would have heard the shots and a patrol might have been sent to investigate — bingo, a group of soldiers in the village.
The “Media” has to make everything more dramatic and bullshit than even something this fucked up is. It’s estimated that over 2million troops have been deployed to OIF and OEF since Nine Eleven. How many of them have gone fucking nuts like this guy appears to have done?
However, with the help of the “Media” the public will now worry that all of us OIFOEF vets might go nuts. Some might want to kick a reporter in the nuts, but other than that I think most of us will be OK.
Bingo indeed Marvin. Unfortunately Occam’s razor is rarely applied in the media or in the imagination of man.
Very well written and spot on piece.
@17… you are right to a degree. The multiple stories of the 40y/os attending basic training is feel good PR, and not the norm. I was connecting the dots (as all of us do consciously or sub-consciously) and wondered about his joining the military at 26(7)… and viola the story came out. Again, I wonder what his recruiter is now thinking.
Attempting to connect dots on certain issues is normal. Trying to connect dots on craziness is impossible. People (good and bad) make bad choices all of the time.
Somewhat surprisingly, my easiest year recruiting in liberal New England were the months leading up to Desert Storm. Many twenty-somethings were joining, and a bunch more tried but were not qualified. And we did not experience an attack like the ones on 9/11. Unusual, but not hugely so to have older folks join, especially if their careers are not working out.
And his recruiter is probably thinking ‘wtf?’. Hard to tell who will be a good Soldier at the point of entry. Some of my sad sack recruits excelled, while a gung ho seemingly in-shape and intelligent Ranger wannabe took his own life during Basic Training at Ft Benning. Never saw that coming.
Radar–hate to sound jaded, but by the end of my recruiting tour as the “Nuke” you could almost point out which ones would make it and which ones wouldn’t just by the questions they’d ask or how seriously they’d take what they were getting into.
There is no excuse for murdering those people… With that said why is this still news? Very rarely do we not do a good job of policing ourselves.
My other problem with the Multiple people scenerio being published is that they can’t explain
Why would one person be willing to take the blame for this action and not use multiple people involved as a defense for their action?
The Afghan civilian “witnesses” keep describing a squad and multiple helicopters involved to the media. However, this scenerio makes no sense in the context of the situation.
@ NHSparkey I respect your opinion, my experience was different after 10 years of carrying that damn gorilla bag. Maybe cuz my sample group was bigger. 🙂
True, while I was focused on a much smaller group and I wasn’t CRF, it’s still pretty telling when a kid goes, “What happens if I fail?” You almost want to take the kid aside and say, “Well Johnny, because you didn’t go in with a positive attitude, this is what will happen to you…”
Oh, and I might have come into contact with a few more 10- and 11-S’s than you. Part of my job entailed high school and junior college nuke talks.
We figured out that at 25 students a class, 4-5 classes a day, 4-5 days a week, we were hitting up to 20,000 students a year in the greater Los Angeles/Hawaii area. Some were smaller, some were bigger (one HS in Hawaii I spoke to the whole school, grades 9-12) but I know I did my share of face time.
How did the boys leg get so badly incinerated if he was shot?
Went to group doing better. I think we are all kinda having a hard time with this and it’s hitting me hard because it’s not as a black and white issue for me. That’s my stuff from fighting the type of enemy he fought. They don’t care about our ethics of the battlefield and they have no problem killing women and children in their sleep. Now that one of us is accused of doing it then it is a big deal. I know we are better than that, but it is some stuff I am dealing with. I have felt the anger and if I could have gotten ahold of my target I don’t know what I would have done. I may have to bow out of the site for a while, because this is a little personal for me.
You’re in our thoughts and prayers, Jason.
Look, erm, at the risk of sounding like a sycophant I want to tell you regulars something.
I am a former military wife, all civilian for a long time now. I stumbled across this blog after a google search. I have interjected a tiny bit, but II realize now I should have lead with this:
I love and respect you all, in a way that is tough to articulate. I love the morals, standards and ethos you all stand for. In a world gone mad, you are the real USA.
Nobunny, I’m a civilian, too, plus female. I throw my two cents’ worth in here, and the vets here are okay with that. Two things to remember: be yourself, and don’t start an argument without your facts in order.
It’s a good blog, with good people. I started reading it because I was sick of the mainstream garbage. I have seen days where I’ve learned more in five minutes here, than I have in as many weeks somewhere else.
Thanks pintonag. That is what keeps me coming back – non-PC, ballsy, unrestrained talk. If I start an argument, it won’t be an intentional act. I am still new to blogs, forums, etc.
Rumor out on the wire is, the Taliban conducted a NON-REPORTED operation that same night in the MSM of this size. Take it for what its worth to you. I’ll wager this intel is pretty f’ng much on target….Welcome back Nobunny…
say it ain’t so streetsweeper……the lies damn lies
😉
it’s all speculation. And the news cameras are stilling around the front gate at Fort Leavenworth. Guess they think he’ll stroll out and grant an “exclusive” interview.