Ghost Troop Home Page April Fools Part 3
A captain from a suspect religious group is arrested for espionage by his government, tried by a court martial declared secret for purposes of national security, convicted and sent into confinement and disgrace…
But after a dozen years the whole affair is revealed to have been a right-wing frame-up to fan nationalist fanaticism. The military, the media and majority religious groups are revealed as having plotted in a frame-up. The captain’s contrite country ends up acclaiming and decorating him, and promoting him major.
Will this be the history of Capt. James Yee, the American Moslem? I don’t know, but it is the history of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, the French Jew, and it happened a century ago.
So is the past a prologue to the case of Capt. Yee? Again, I don’t know, but as a former Army officer myself (alas, another mere captain), I’d like to examine the possibility that he is not receiving his fair due from the country he has served, both in war and peace, after his graduation from West Point.
I watched Fox News broadcast the breaking story Saturday afternoon, and I was a bit taken aback that there were already two “experts” on hand to state that the government always had strong evidence before it made an arrest. That seems a bit suspect to me because Capt. Yee still has not been charged with anything at all, although Fox News mentioned “suspicions” of treason and espionage.
I have to admit a bit of skepticism about Fox News. In a recent interview, CNBC’s Tina Brown asked CNN’s Christiane Amanpour whether media had been intimidated by the White House into modifying its war coverage. Amanpour’s answer was disturbing:
“I think the press was
muzzled and I think the press self-muzzled.
I'm sorry to say but certainly television and, perhaps, to a certain
extent, my station was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers
at Fox News. And it did, in fact, put a
climate of fear and self-censorship, in my view, in terms of – of the kind of
broadcast work we did.” [Topic A, Tina Brown, host, Sept. 10.]
I’ve kept the TV on Fox News since, and I’ve been a
bit concerned by the announcements of
the arrests of Capt. Yee and now Senior Airman Ahmad al-Halabi
within a two-day period, when there were two months between their actual arrests. I’m a bit more concerned that Fox News is
mentioning the possibility of a death penalty, because it smacks of
intimidation. I’m even more concerned
that talk radio is already beginning to talk of an Islamic Fifth Column in the
We of the military and we of the media (and I’ve
served both masters) are creating a strong climate of prejudice against
American citizen service members who have yet to speak on their own
behalf. Once you’ve fostered mistrust of
the military, you’re pretty close to declaring a loyalty crisis in
It all seems a bit like the kind of half-suggestive,
half-coercive manipulation of public affairs and military justice that happened
a century ago in
Capt. Yee and any other alleged participants in
espionage deserve to have fair, open hearings, free from the veil of secrecy
that ominously surrounds affairs at
A fair and open hearing is in order, and, if
warranted, a fair and open trial, preferably in a civilian venue so as to
remove any hint that a military kangaroo court rendered a political decision on
White House orders. That’s all this true
soldier wants. I yield to no one in
loyalty to my country and its Constitution, and if
loyalty means talking about foreign fall-guys like Capt. Alfred Dreyfus or
domestic tyrants like Senator Joseph McCarthy, so be it. As President Bush mentioned when he recently
honored the 3rd Infantry Division, this is
Capt.
Eric May served as a military intelligence officer and public affairs officer
on the General Staff of the Army’s 75th Division. He was the editorial writer for NBC affiliate
KPRC in
Come on Captain, the essay is excellent and makes several vital
points. However, unless you are a little
more forthcoming on mending fences with the gatekeepers, the article may likely
never find itself on the printed page of the HC. Don't bog yourself in the sand.
Go back and read your note to the editors. Put yourself in their place. How would you
react – in their places? Walk in their
shoes. Perhaps they felt they had more
to lose than you or I. Not everyone is
as fearless as you are. Not everyone is
enlightened enough to know that fear itself is the real enemy.
You are fortunate in that you have acted fearlessly in these
past months. Perhaps if you look back in your life you will remember times that
was not the case. I can. But I learned something from those times, and so did you. That has gotten us where we are now, less fearful. We all must go through those times, even your editors. Maybe they will come out the other side of
this experience with less fear the next time life gives them a challenge or
opportunity to face their fear and be lifted above it.
Concede your frustrations with the media. We all must work together if we are to save
our Constitution, our country and indeed, our planet. We need each other. We must not let the dark forces divide and conquer. We must make all efforts to join
together. We must learn to empathize,
even with those we disagree with. That’s
a lesson the Bushies have not learned.
Let the editors know you
know that they were between a rock and a hard place. They fear consequences: If they stand up to their bosses, then become
unemployed, they would not be at the desk when the tide begins to turn and they
can overcome their fear and use the 1st amendment rights they now fear using. They possibly denied the chance to do their
jobs by their CORPORATE bosses who are in bed with the gov.
The leader of the Light Calvary must use light to unite an
info-lightened unregimented un-army.
Let there be light and the darkness will dissolve into the
nothingness it is.
Peace, Sgt. Kay
P.S. I like that. USE LIGHT TO UNITE.
Ghost Troop Home Page April Fools Part 3