“But maybe it's better that I wasn't [at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last Friday] because as I watch this outrage that everyone seems to have about the treatment of these prisoners I have to say and I'm probably not the only one up at this table that is more outraged by the outrage than we are by the treatment."You might like to email him, too.
These remarks by Mr. Inhofe are inexcusable. If he cannot see that American soldiers should be setting the best example for behavior on the battlefield, then Senator Inhofe is a poor representative of any U.S. state.
The fact that someone did the same or worse does not excuse the terrible behavior of what we can only hope proves to be a small minority of our troops. To compare and fingerpoint and excuse is to engage in the sort of moral reasoning most of our parents encouraged us to avoid when we were children.
Perhaps the good people of Oklahoma will elect a Senator who offers ALL humans the same level of respect next time round.
(Via Atrios)
UPDATE: I've since found out that Inhofe isn't up for re-election next time. Perhaps that's what's allowed him to be so nakedly hateful.
Mr. Inhofe, I was outraged by the hideous violence perpetrated against an innocent American this weekend and broadcast around the world today. But I'll be equally horrified if any American soldier thinks it's OK for him to behead an innocent Iraqi in retaliation. For the retaliation.
I'm no pacifist--not by a long shot--by I do believe that an "eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." And I think many, perhaps even most other Americans, agree that we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
So, yes, Mr. Inhofe, I'm outraged. And I'll continue to be.
