Wednesday - June 14, 2006

Category Image Sing! Sing a Song!


Update: The Marine Corps investigation determined no punishable offense occurred. Score one for common sense.

The Marine Corps is conducting an investigation to see if they can find a law that was broken. So far the lawyers haven't found one, so they're going to look harder.

You see, a Marine in Al Asad, Iraq sang a silly and funny song about being in war. Like many songs it contained references to fictional and outrageous violence. Marines and soldiers for eons have been singing songs like this to take their minds off the seriousness of what they're doing. No one really takes them seriously, it's comedy.

I'd like to point out that this song was performed publicly in what looks to me like the chow hall in Al Asad, maybe the new MWR building instead. I'll bet this Marine sang his song to the enjoyment of many Marines senior to him, probably even officers. I know I would have been laughing my butt off with him.

So, in solidarity with this Marine, I would like to report some songs and slogans that I have heard in my time with the Marine Corps.

Okay, I changed my mind. I decided that I don't want the potential legal hassle. I'll just say that we sang songs that make "Hadji Girl" sound light and frivolous. Songs that would make the Council of Viet Namese Relations leaders' hair curl. Songs that would make Shiite Iranians run in horror. Songs that would make a Baptist chaplain (but strangely not the Catholic chaplains) blush and recoil in horror.

I'm offended that this Marine is being targeted for being funny and singing an innocent and funny song. I think my past rants have shown that I hold a very high standard for behavior by Marines, but in this case there was no failure of discipline, there was no order broken, there was no wrong act committed.

Perhaps this investigation is merely a way to confirm that nothing wrong happened. Let's hope so.

Marines do not enjoy freedom of speech. But there should be a limit to what speech is forbidden.

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