Downtown Sacramento at the Arena has been the site of anti-police, non-violent demonstrations by residents angry at the killing of a South Sacramento man in a backyard. The man showed a cell phone while running from police and the penalty was death. The South Sacramento area has been a low-income neighborhood for years, showing signs of gentrification for a few years.
The city has decided to build a large facility to help released prisoners transition to civilian life, which is opposed by South Sacramento homeowners. There is community opposition to the plan because it is expected to bring more crime to the area.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
My Lai Anniversary
MY LAI MASSACRE FIFTY-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WAS MARCH 16, 2018
I didn't see any references to the My Lai Massacre this past week in the news but today CSPAN played an old show about it with military lawyers as guests. I can remember noise about it as a child of eleven but this deadly incident is certainly worthy of recognition.
Somewhere between three and five hundred civilian victims were murdered by US Army troops. South Vietnamese men and women, children, infants, and elderly were killed by US fire, ordered by an Army Captain and a platoon Lieutenant. The incident might have gone unreported had not a helicopter pilot and his two crewman observed the live fire and landed in an attempt to end the massacre.
The Army did its best to cover up the massacre, even threatening the helicopter pilot with disciplinary action. The pilot pressed on: Hugh Thompson. The Army did a whitewashing of the incident and only punished one man: Lt. Calley. Calley was given a life sentence and served three and one-half years. Thompson retired as a Major but endured hostility and threats during his lifetime.
Times sure change the rules. There are troops from Iraq and Afghanistan serving life sentences and shorter terms for questionable acts in combat. Once politics gets involved in legal matters, there is no telling how a soldier might fare. It seems that Lt. Calley and his CO, Captain Medina, acted far beyond any sensible rules of engagement, while an Afghanistan War soldier who might have shot a suspected Taliban could end up serving ten years at Leavenworth.
I didn't see any references to the My Lai Massacre this past week in the news but today CSPAN played an old show about it with military lawyers as guests. I can remember noise about it as a child of eleven but this deadly incident is certainly worthy of recognition.
Somewhere between three and five hundred civilian victims were murdered by US Army troops. South Vietnamese men and women, children, infants, and elderly were killed by US fire, ordered by an Army Captain and a platoon Lieutenant. The incident might have gone unreported had not a helicopter pilot and his two crewman observed the live fire and landed in an attempt to end the massacre.
The Army did its best to cover up the massacre, even threatening the helicopter pilot with disciplinary action. The pilot pressed on: Hugh Thompson. The Army did a whitewashing of the incident and only punished one man: Lt. Calley. Calley was given a life sentence and served three and one-half years. Thompson retired as a Major but endured hostility and threats during his lifetime.
Times sure change the rules. There are troops from Iraq and Afghanistan serving life sentences and shorter terms for questionable acts in combat. Once politics gets involved in legal matters, there is no telling how a soldier might fare. It seems that Lt. Calley and his CO, Captain Medina, acted far beyond any sensible rules of engagement, while an Afghanistan War soldier who might have shot a suspected Taliban could end up serving ten years at Leavenworth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)