In the whirlwind of lies, outrages, and catastrophes that make up our out-of-control news cycle, it is no surprise that some of the most important and significant stories get lost or buried. One such story is that of Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher. His actions were so blatantly criminal and murderous that his own men reported him to his superiors. He was accused of the cold-blooded knife murder of a sedated teenage Iraqi prisoner, among numerous other offenses, including a string of indiscriminate killings of unarmed civilians.
He was court martialed and eventually – and quite suspiciously – acquitted on all but one change, that of posing for a picture with the teenager’s corpse, a charge that he could hardly be cleared of because, well, the photo itself. A horrible story indeed, but one made infinitely worse by the subsequent actions of our erstwhile Commander in Chief, who has made a mockery of both our military justice system and our long-held belief that we are above the barbarism of many of our enemies. In pardoning Chief Gallagher and restoring him to his former rank for retirement, as well as unilaterally ruling that he can keep the cherished and symbolic Seal Trident Pin, Trump has announced to friend and foe alike that we are not bound by any sense of honor or justice.
The New York Times has reported extensively on this, including acquiring the videotaped testimonies of six other Seal team members, in which several of them break down in tears. It bears mentioning that these are not some snowflakes; they are the most highly trained and deadly fighters in the world.
Now Chief Gallagher, instead of being demoted and disgraced, has become a right-wing talking head, starting a “lifestyle” brand of Seal-themed clothing and partying with Trump and friends at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He is frequently mentioned by the president at his rallies, praising him as “one of the ultimate fighters.”
My late father, Major Francis Sadowski (USAF, Ret.), who fought three wars for our country, told me years ago that there is such a thing as a just war. He said: “Fighting and killing in a just war is no sin, but there are countless opportunities for heinous sins in any war, even a just one.” When my father fought in WW2, he was a navigator/bombardier on multiple bombing missions over Germany, and certainly killed many people. He was involved when the bombing was restricted to German industrial and military targets, and was home with a Purple Heart after being shot on a mission when the strategy changed to fire-bombing German cities to "break the will" of the German people, questionable morally at best.
Lionizing the heinous wartime actions of Chief Gallagher is not only a new low for our leader, but represents a seismic change in the morality of our faltering constitutional republic. And it is a sin.
January 7, 2020
Portland, OR
January 7, 2020
Portland, OR
