Double Trouble
Not Buying All of Argument
RECEIVED Thu., March 18, 2004
Mr. Velasco,
You make it sound as if John Allen Muhammad was a frontline infantryman who was "in the shit," so to speak, for too long ["Postmarks" online, March 11]. He was a mechanic, not exactly a grunt. Granted, he earned an expert marksmanship badge, but so do thousands of soldiers. I knew medics and clerks who consistently did the same. However, these medics and many other veterans such as myself do not go around picking off people for no reason. Many have excelled in the civilian world because of their military experience, not despite of it.
Your stand for abolishing the death penalty is compelling. Yet, trying to blame maladjustment from service as a combat support soldier is not very convincing and only detracts from what would otherwise be sound reasoning.
You make it sound as if John Allen Muhammad was a frontline infantryman who was "in the shit," so to speak, for too long ["Postmarks" online, March 11]. He was a mechanic, not exactly a grunt. Granted, he earned an expert marksmanship badge, but so do thousands of soldiers. I knew medics and clerks who consistently did the same. However, these medics and many other veterans such as myself do not go around picking off people for no reason. Many have excelled in the civilian world because of their military experience, not despite of it.
Your stand for abolishing the death penalty is compelling. Yet, trying to blame maladjustment from service as a combat support soldier is not very convincing and only detracts from what would otherwise be sound reasoning.
Alex Aguirre