South Philly Review

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To the Editor:

I am sick and tired of our bleeding heart politicians who want to persecute our military for some minor issue while the vast majority of our military put their lives on the line in Afghanistan and all over the world and go unnoticed. Recently, the media and many politicians went way overboard in reacting to the four Marines who urinated on dead Taliban fighters.

People should remember that our military are heroes and that the Taliban are a bunch of cowards. My son, Lance Cpl. Thomas Scott Jr., is a Marine and presently in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban. He was deployed on Oct. 31 and will be there until early June. He has been shot at by these cowards and unfortunately one his staff sergeants was killed by an IED. Marine Staff Sgt. Vincent J. Bell, 28, was killed on Nov. 30. My son was approximately 100 meters away when the explosion occurred. He was able to call us and was shook up pretty good, but he knew he had to stay focused on his duties.

During his calls home he has told us how the Taliban cowards have been beheading locals in the surrounding villages near his base. Recently, right up the road from his base, the cowards drove and parked a car into a gas station then blew up the both of them. The Taliban cowards dress just like the civilians and intermingle with them so the Marines have been instructed to only fire when fired upon. The Marines have been ordered to be sure that they are firing upon and only upon an armed individual.

I asked my son, “Why can’t you just fire mortars and other heavy artillery at the building?” His reply was “there may be civilians in there” and then he recites the aforementioned rules of engagement. He may not agree with these rules, but he respects them.

As a parent, my natural instinct is to protect my child so, as you can imagine, it is very frustrating knowing there is nothing I can do. I can only hope for the best, send positive thoughts and provide encouragement. As a father to a Marine and more importantly as an American citizen, it angers me when the media goes crazy about a stupid act and calls urinating on the dead Taliban a war crime. I don’t condone it, but it is in no way no how a war crime. They should be disciplined but not severely and all the circumstances surrounding this act must be considered. Perhaps they have watched fellow Marines injured or killed by the Taliban.

No one truly knows what these Marines have gone through. Even if they did know, unless they are fighting, not sitting in an office in Washington, and experiencing the war, they could not know what was going through the minds of these Marines.

Give these Marines a break. Remember that our troops volunteered for the military. Each and every one of them knew that they may be deployed to a combat zone. This is true courage!

To all our men and women in the military, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for us each and every day. To the families of those men and women, thank you for your sacrifice as well. I know how you feel.

Stay Strong and Semper Fi!

Thomas C. Scott Sr.
South Philadelphia

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