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Originally posted by smooth
I haven't seen anyone, except one person, express anything other than support and understanding for the soldiers' positions--so you can just lay off asserting otherwise.
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I was not intending to assert that anyone was denouncing the troops for what happened. I was making a general statement. If I left the impression that I was, then I apologize. However, I stand by my statement that many people are not truly aware of the conditions. There is a big difference between empathy and sympathy.
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That is not just "how they speak." First of all, do some research on discursive practices--it's well documented. Secondly, this was a press release, not an off-the-cuff statement. Thirdly, whether you or they realize it or not, people choose their words for reasons--not just "because."
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Yes it is how they speak. I'm not going to debate discursive practices regardless of how suspect the Navy Captain's speech may have been. Having served for 5 years during the first war in Iraq, I am very well aware of how those in the military speak. And a confrontation with anyone is termed an engagement. It doesn't matter whether this was a press-release or not, the fact of the matter is that a Naval officer was describing the event in the language with which he is accustomed. I think you give too much credit with the assumption that every word was carefully chosen to exact a particular meaning. Not everyone who speaks does so with as much premeditation as you seem to be claiming.
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I doubt they will "hang" anyone out to dry--and no one here has said they should. Every incident up until now has been investigated and the soldiers involved exonerated--there is no evidence that this case would be handled otherwise.
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It is a strong possibility that he will be exonerated and I hope he is; however, the military beauracracy too often offers a sacrificial lamb in cases like these if public pressure becomes great enough.