http://www.statenews.com I’m writing in response to a letter written by Bradley Gershel, Obama must bring real change by ending brutal policies of past (SN 4/29). I have never served in the military but many of my closest friends currently are serving in both the Marine Corps and U.S. Army. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Thu, 14 May 2009 15:29:03 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39533 Your attempts to reason with James Madison students are futile…believe me…I was one… Fri, 01 May 2009 00:10:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39533 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39538 lol, 99% of the Greek community are great people? No, 99% of them are pampered rich kids who think they are better than the rest of us. Go fly a kite. Fri, 01 May 2009 09:10:44 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39538 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39541 Anyone of even average intelligence will already know that not all military personel torture prisoners and those who don’t already know are unlikely to be swayed by this letter. So the letter, and this post, are really a waste of time. Fri, 01 May 2009 09:25:22 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39541 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39545 College campus liberals and career academics, meaning professors, HATE the military and its members. It stems from insecurity, jealousy and feeling threatened by something bigger, better and more honorable than they are. They turn those insecure feelings of jealousy into hate, arrogance and smug/self-righteousness as a defense mech. What can you do, it’s been like this forever. Luckily academia and college isnt the reality so who cares. Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:56 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39545 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39548 I love how a poster called “Objective Observer” starts the post with talking about “college campus liberals” and then proceeds to say that academics hate the military because they’re insecure. I’m sure the poster is a trained psychologist and has done years of research on the subject to arrive at that conclusion and is not talking out of their ass. What a blowhard. It just fascinates me how much people come up with nonsense out of nowhere and then actually believe it to be the cold, hard facts. Fri, 01 May 2009 10:34:36 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39548 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39550 This just in! Stereotypes about [any group] do no apply to all members. Fri, 01 May 2009 10:49:49 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39550 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39557 99% of all letters to the editors use made up statistical percentages. Fri, 01 May 2009 12:08:38 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39557 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39562 America- Try not to lie when you think about this rhetorical question. Do you dislike military members and/or think they are just former gym class bullies, “conservatives”, “flag wavers”, or meatheads? I submit you that DO on both accounts and I sumbit you probably made similar comments to your friends while hanging out at a coffee shop or the Peanut Barrell, “man”. In your freetime, you probably say things like “play some tuuuuunes, man! TUUUUNES!” or even funnier the famous hippi “O-BA-MA!” chant. Fri, 01 May 2009 12:28:09 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39562 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39570 To be honest, I have several friends from high school in the military. They were the typical screw-ups and the military did straighten them out a little (although one married a stripper, but that’s another story). And I’m not sure where the hippie thing came from. Just because someone’s not a scary right-winger doesn’t mean that they have to be a scary left-winger. There is actually a middle. Conservatives apparently don’t understand that now, which is why they’re hurting in terms of getting elected. Hopefully, they’ll start to look at demographic and psychographic research and actually use the insight to better brand themselves. Oh, and you’ve once again proven that you have no insight into what people actually think. Congrats, you’ve failed at life twice today. Fri, 01 May 2009 13:26:15 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39570 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39576 Sorry, the torture is not an issue of “a few bad apples.” Rather, it is part of the institution that is the military. Those that carried out the torture were not acting on “sociopathic tendencies,” but were following orders from higher-ups who sanctioned these abhorrent actions. So, while I’m sure that there are a lot of sick individuals in the military, it is the sickness of the institution itself that allowed the torture that has so disgraced our country. Fri, 01 May 2009 14:15:14 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39576 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39579 water boarding and nudity is not torture. water boarding, inter alia, is good. it saved lives. Fri, 01 May 2009 14:44:07 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39579 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39585 “Facts” – You wrote “water boarding is not torture.” That is wrong. It is torture, at least officially. Maybe you don’t watch/read the news. Better luck next time. Fri, 01 May 2009 15:52:49 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39585 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39588 aaaaahhh no it’s not. it’s a matter of opinion. anyone who thinks water boarding is torture is a huge f*cking p*ussy, like Obama. and nobody should want to be like Obama. getting your figer nails ripped out or arm broken or balls lopped off is torture. all things, by the way, i support if it means getting the same great results water boarding produced. fact: no terror on US soil since 9/11/2001 why: water boarding produced answers and answers produced thwarted attacks. Fri, 01 May 2009 16:48:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39588 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39596 Oh yeah, “Facts,” I’m sure, since waterboarding is so very effective, they only needed to use it 180+ times against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (and who knows whom else). What a fantastic measure of “success.” Further, I don’t care if torture of ANY kind yields ANY “positive results” (which are, by many accounts, very hard to prove anyway). AMERICA MUST NOT TORTURE. Torture is illegal, its results are unreliable, and its use makes Americans less safe. There is exactly ZERO reasonable justification for torture of any kind. Fri, 01 May 2009 22:13:36 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39596 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39599 Torture does not produce good intelligence. Anything a person says under the duress of torture needs to be verified before it can even be considered actionable intelligence, because that person will say anything to make the pain or terror stop. It is a very basic self-preservation technique that you have very little control over, even with specialized training- your mind will tell you to say anything- do anything, to make it stop. The Israeli’s know this, which is why they don’t use torture. There are other more effective ways to produce reliable intelligence if you have the proper equipment, and 24-48 hours to work with the detainee. These techniques in no way physically harm the subject, and produce no lasting mental effects. While I won’t go into too much detail, one of the processes uses a sophisticated isolation tank that quite literally breaks down the mental resistance of the subject. Other techniques include chemical pheromones that induce a feeling of absolute dread, making the subject easier to interrogate. The list goes on and on, but the point is that better alternatives do exist, except the CIA lacks the training or is too inept to carry it out. Sat, 02 May 2009 02:18:26 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39599 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39617 FACTS your comments are very good….FOR ME TO POOP ON. maybe you should read 1984 idiot. Sat, 02 May 2009 15:51:14 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39617 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39623 Torture absolutely produces good intelligence. 3 terrorists were water boarded, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, may he burn in hell, who masterminded 9/11. Accurate information was obtained from these three animals that successfully thwarted a 9/11 style attack in Los Angeles and an attack on the Brooklyn bridge. If they were not water boarded, then these attacks would have been carried out and the blood would be on your hands for not allowing terrorist scum to have their heads dunked in water. Fucking pussies. Sun, 03 May 2009 02:54:17 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39623 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39624 First I’d like to state that I am a James Madison alum and Bradley Gershel’s article is really misinformed. In addition, I’d like to make the point that blaming the military as an institution is completely unfair. If anyone wants to look for a good explanation of the situation and what can amplify it beyond simple “orders”, I suggest you do research on the psychological effects of being a prisoners/guards from the Stanford Prison Experiment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment). Again I’d like to state that blaming the military as a whole is not fair or even a sane argument. This isn’t the 1970s and troops aren’t roaming around on campus clashing with students. Military men and women do a great service for this country in its national defense and I would challenge any naysayers to go serve for 4 years and then come talk to me and bash those that serve to protect you. Keep in mind that all of those volunteering to serve are keeping YOU from being DRAFTED. If you want to bash them and call them high school rejects etc, then I ask you how would you feel if we supplemented them with say 10 percent of the entering or exiting class of Michigan State University students? Regardless of your political stance, liberal, conservative or moderate you should at least have the intelligence and recognition to understand what they sacrifice. Sun, 03 May 2009 03:21:11 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39624 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39632 Unfortunately you lose all credibility when you start referring to our military and they’re great service in “national defense.” This kind of idealism about the military is what has allowed for all of our men and women in uniform to carry out Bush’s evil and illegal genocidal blood money agendas over seas. I understand perfectly that the U.S. military has fought in the name of freedom in the past, in noble wars such as WWI and WWII. I also understand that currently the U.S. military is still entangled in an aggressive, economically imperialistic, genocidal terrorist agenda against the peasants of Iraq. So don’t let your idealism cloud the reality of the evils enabled by our current military. They are not fighting for freedom, for our rights, or for any manor of “defense”. I do understand what they have sacrificed. They have endangered themselves and given up so many luxuries all in the name of corporate crime and mass murder. And that is truly sad. Sun, 03 May 2009 13:35:26 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39632 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39634 To Well, You lose all credibility when you fail to be able to know the difference between they’re and their. Perhaps you should spend some more time reading and working on your grammar than discussing “illegal genocidal money agendas.” Sun, 03 May 2009 19:06:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39634 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39637 “The Israeli’s know this, which is why they don’t use torture.” Hahaha. You really think that? Or could it be that the Israeli media has kept its mouth shut instead of blabbing to the world what is done behind closed doors to keep the country safe? Do you really think so little of the Israeli intelligence services that they can’t keep a secret from the rest of the world? BTW, plurals do not contain apostrophes. Mon, 04 May 2009 09:14:12 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39637 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39639 Gosh, I’d love to join the military but 1) I’m a woman and don’t want to be sexually assaulted by fellow servicemen, 2) I’m gay and not allowed to serve openly as such, and 3) I don’t believe in killing. Soon as the military takes care of these three little issues, I’m in! Mon, 04 May 2009 10:52:10 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39639 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39641 Actually Zeke, plural possesive words do contain apostrophes. You may have been refering to something else, but you’re still wrong. Mon, 04 May 2009 13:06:02 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39641 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39643 Zeke- Yes, a shame that our press discloses information about illegal and immoral acts committed by those who represent our country. I much prefer our press was complicit with such activities so that we could trick people. This may sound crazy, but maybe instead of being mad at the press, you should be mad at the inviduals who ordered and carried out these acts. If you think the acts were justified and necessary than why do you care if the whole world knows about it? Mon, 04 May 2009 15:15:25 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39643 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39645 I understand the point you’re trying to make and your concern about the first point but question it from a statistical standpoint. I don’t know the statistics of it but what are your chances of being sexually assaulted in the military versus being sexually assaulted walking on campus at night, at a job, at a party or just in life itself? It would be interesting to see the statistics behind that. Your second point is very valid and something to be addressed. The third point is a philosophical difference that I understand and is completely your choice. That said, I believe it is something you’d quickly get over if in a time of extreme need if you were drafted and thrown into combat or even put in a situation where it was between your life and another persons, say somebody trying to rape you. If it was between your life and theirs I would hope you would select your life first. Mon, 04 May 2009 15:32:50 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39645 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39647 PB message left, the very last one for 5-1-09, please read. I know that you are a good person, don’t try to hide it so much from the world. Bless you for all you did for me. Never to be heard from again. Thanks for putting up with me. Mon, 04 May 2009 16:39:09 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39647 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39650 I couldn’t agree with the above posts anymore than if I wanted to. Brillant arguments…just brillant! Mon, 04 May 2009 16:49:25 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39650 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39652 You’re right, there’s some chance that I could be assaulted or even raped just walking down the street. What concerns me even more about the military, though, is that there’s about a 1 in 3 chance of this happening, and a very strong chance of the military higher-ups turning a blind eye to it. Here’s one article about this issue (from last year): Article Yes, this could happen anywhere, but to think that a fellow servicemember could do this, and that the military itself doesn’t do more to prevent this and punish those who commit these crimes, is unfathomable. To my second point, President Obama has vowed to repeal Section 654 of U.S. Code Title 10 (the actual rule that says homosexuals aren’t allowed to serve in the military), but he’s said that it’s not a top priority with everything else going on right now. That’s hopeful, but there is strong opposition to this: Washington Post Article Finally, I sincerely hope I’m never in a situation where I have to choose between my life and someone else’s. I’ll keep my chances as low as possible and not volunteer to be in that situation. Mon, 04 May 2009 16:53:32 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39652 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39656 Job well done CJ. Thanks for finding the writting on the blog, I mean wall, you know what I mean. THANK YOU! :) So Very Much!!!! Mon, 04 May 2009 17:15:23 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39656 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39662 I find a possible ironic conundrum with the posts… Follow the logic… 1. Women don’t join the military because they’re worried about sexual assault by their fellow service members. 2. Openly gay people serving in the military is allowed. 3. Men don’t want to serve in the military because they’re worried about being sexually assaulted by openly gay people serving in the military. Let me make it clear that the only point I’m trying to make is it’s a sticky situation. Mon, 04 May 2009 19:12:55 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39662 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39663 What makes you think anyone would want to rape you?? You probably look like a lumber jack with nail polish. Mon, 04 May 2009 19:15:50 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39663 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39665 Dated 3-18-2009: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123140293 Mon, 04 May 2009 19:37:27 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39665 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39666 Here I can be found! Mon, 04 May 2009 19:46:25 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39666 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39668 Statistics on Sexual Assaults: Sexual Assaults (2007): 248,300 – http://www.rainn.org/statistics Women in the military (9-30-2008): 205,396 – http://www.womensmemorial.org/PDFs/StatsonWIM.pdf Any statistics majors out there? Mon, 04 May 2009 19:51:23 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39668 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39670 But there is one brillant man out there, I can’t believe his mind! Mon, 04 May 2009 19:55:02 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39670 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39671 How can one person be so much of so many things, if that makes any sense. Brillant writter, not fooled by the media and the Left and vocally not shy at all. I am facinated by these brillant blogs… Mon, 04 May 2009 20:00:13 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39671 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39672 Thank you to all our men and women that serve our great country. Mon, 04 May 2009 20:05:58 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39672 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39680 @ To: To All Wrong: It’s clear you know nothing about rape or the reasons behind it, but it’s also obvious you know nothing about me. That’s cool, though, you keep fighting the good fight, there, bro. Tue, 05 May 2009 00:24:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39680 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39711 thank you. Wed, 06 May 2009 16:19:16 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39711 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39718 Now you keep on talking, never shut up. You have too much to say that people want to hear. A brillant mind and the written word have come to fascinate me like never before. It is a multidementional kind of thing. So many layers, one more interesting than the next. A woven pattern that keeps on going and that continues to catch my eye. Very persuasive, very thought provoking, very intriguing….I may not have all my words spelled correctly, but what’s new. I am in a hurry, my time is short, work waits me soon. I hope to thank you, I appreciate another earlier blog too. I can’t find it, and I am limited on time. Hoping against hope to find just what I am looking for. So much to say, so little time. Thu, 07 May 2009 12:28:44 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39718 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39757 To the writer, Nothing personal but your military friends are likely so low on the totem pole that even mentioning them in terms of torture policy is virtually non-sequitur. I doubt they are close enough to this inner circle who decides this. Wed, 13 May 2009 08:31:51 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39757 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39758 A lumber jack with nailpolish…how funny, but no not quiet silly. Quite the opposite I must say. There is nothing brute about me. Pretty on the outside and now I feel pretty on the inside too, because of you. Give yourself more credit. Your an awesome guy expect the same to come your way! Cynical and funny at the same time how so you do it? Wed, 13 May 2009 11:52:30 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39758 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39761 Spell Check I need you! Wed, 13 May 2009 12:34:47 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39761 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39762 That is it…from now on I proofread 3 times before I submit. Pray I do better, please. :) Wed, 13 May 2009 12:37:10 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39762 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39764 This is getting moved to Wells for sure… Thu, 14 May 2009 15:29:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39764