Marines' Unethical Act Delves Into Barbarity of War (VIDEO)

By Elton Jones, Christian Post Reporter Friday, January 13, 2012

The recent video of four U.S. Marines urinating on a group of dead Taliban soldiers has led to differing reactions and viewpoints on the brutality of war.

A recent video has surfaced of four U.S. Marine urinating on a group of dead Taliban soldiers. The four Marines shown in the video were members of a 1,000-man battalion.

One of the men in the video says, "Have a great day, buddy." A voice then asks, "You got it on the video?" to which another voice responds, "Yeah." Another one jokes, "Golden, like a shower."

The soldiers previously completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and returned to Camp LeJuene, North Carolina. Apparently, the soldiers started showcasing the video as a war trophy to their fellow soldiers.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement, "I have seen the footage, and I find the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."

Panetta also said he has ordered the Marine Corps and International Security Assistance Force Commander Gen. John Allen "to immediately and fully investigate the incident."

Panetta’s statement continued: "This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards of values our armed forces are sworn to uphold. Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent."

The footage of this unethical act has led some to react in different ways. Most of them focus on the topic of war brutality and if it should persist or stop.

A CNN commenter posted this comment pertaining to American society’s perceived softness. "You want these guys to be barbaric, you want them to kill and not to give it a second thought,”" the commenter posted. "This is what they do and they do it very well.”
The problem, according to one navy seal team sniper who recently gave a Time magazine interview is “The American public is too soft. They have no idea what it takes to survive in this part of the world.”

"And he is right,” he continued. "Most of us are used to seeing those feel good segments of our returning heroes waving a flag and running to greet their families. But that is not the reality of war, most families would never be able to comprehend what their 19-year-old son did over there, nor would they want to know."

Another CNN commenter felt that the act was simply out of line. Even though some other forum members believe this war crime was justifiable due to the current conflict, this commenter felt otherwise.

"That is as wrong as can be," the commenter posted. "First, the enemy was DEAD already here. There was no further action needed. This was a selfish act to show off. They were not under fire, they were goofing around."

This video continues to add to the ongoing issue of war and its severe brutality. Plenty of punishable acts have come to the light or gone unseen by the public eye. Some believe that these acts are a part of war and should be considered as a defense of one’s country.

But, there are some who feel that these are simply acts against humanity that are unethical. Ideals such as these raise more questions pertaining to the brutality of war.

A news report on the video footage can be seen below: