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Thu 22 Jun, 2006 09:17 am
Today's paper ran an interview with Tom Tucker's dad. I was amazed by some of the things he said; that in the heat of his grief he could be so.... is compassionate the right word?
Quote:
Family speaks out on son, war
Madras - Pfc. Thomas Tucker's brutal death appears to be in retaliation for alleged U.S. abuses, his father says
Thursday, June 22, 2006
MATTHEW PREUSCH
MADRAS -- The father of the Madras soldier tortured and then killed in Iraq said Wednesday that his son's captors probably were retaliating for alleged U.S. abuses in Iraq.
Though he honors his son's service and condemns the way he died, Wes Tucker acknowledged that war breeds atrocities on all sides.
"They were doing a job, and they probably overstepped the bounds of the job they were supposed to do, just like the ones in our military overstepped the jobs they were supposed to do," Tucker said in some of his first public comments since his son, Tom, was killed.
"Our son and this other fellow were in a bad spot, and they might have been retaliated against," he told KTVZ, the Bend NBC affiliate in an interview outside the family's Madras home.
"Is it right? No, it's not right," he said. "But unfortunately some of the people in our military have done the same thing."
Read the full story here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/115094491845370.xml&coll=7
What do you think of what Mr. Tucker has to say?
Do you think it will change anything?
Thanks for your comments.
Wow.
That's an amazing guy.
I would certainly hope it would change something. Realistically, I doubt that it will. But who knows.
I've been surprised that this has passed so quietly. What happened to these soldiers is just beyond comprehension. I guess I expected a lot more anger. Maybe it's just too heartbreaking to stir anger.
"Grace", I think, is the best term to describe Mr. Tucker's comments.
I'm very impressed with Mr. Tucker's comments. I only wish his mental grace was contageous.
Whoa!
I guess some people are too wise to just go into rage and hatred and revenge....and seek to understand and make sense of what happens.
I have friends whose kids were murdered particularly horribly, and who also did not descend into hatred, but also sought to understand, and there are examples everywhere if you look (an Australian woman whose husband and sons were burned to death by a mob of Hindu extremists comes to mind in India......she met and talked to them and held great compassion for them).
I have written about one of my friends here.
My heart goes out to the people who loved those poor guys...at least they cannot be hurt any more, but knowing that someone has died "particularly brutally" is so awful....as it has been for so many families and friends of people caught up in this horror, on all sides.
I think it would be harder to know that a child you love had inflicted torture than that s/he had been the victim of torture.
This in no way devalues Mr. Tucker's compassion.
Noddy24 wrote:I think it would be harder to know that a child you love had inflicted torture than that s/he had been the victim of torture.
This in no way devalues Mr. Tucker's compassion.
Dunno.
Just as a small sample, a number of people right here on this forum seem happy to support the use of torture.
I presume that means they would be happy to administer it, or have their kids do so?
Dlowan--
What can I say? That you and I are more "normal" than some of the other members?
I can't imagine it either way - the victim or the inflicter. I don't know if I would have such grace. I don't know that I could try to see the other side. I would like to think that I would but I don't really know if I could.
In many cases there is not another side. I haven't seen your retelling dlowan but I would like to read it if you remember where you posted it.
My brother is in the army. He had to sit through a presentation of thousands of photos and several film shot in Abu Gharab prison. It made him sick. He felt "changed" just by having to see it. For the first time ever he sounded ashamed of the army.
I was listening to the radio when the story broke that the bodies of Tucker and Manchaca were discovered and it made me physically sick.
I do not know that I would have such grace.
Oh my.
I don't know if I could have it in me.
Thank you for sharing that.
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