Lynndie England will be at the Library of Congress today promoting her new book. America’s infamous military police reservist at Abu Ghraib will be discussing her role in the abuse of prisoners.
I am disgusted to know that the Library of Congress will be the venue for selling her book.
As she said in an interview published in the West Virginia Metro News on Monday: “Yeah, I was in some pictures, but that’s all it was … I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
If only…
The “Wrong place, wrong time” argument is as convincing as the “I was only following orders” argument.
Don’t judge a book by its cover…. everyone can turn the page……
Look at the punishment list for those involved:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse#Courts-martial.2C_nonjudicial.2C_and_administrative_punishment
Sad that the little girl had to take so much of the load.
Yeah…”in the wrong place at the wrong time”. How many of us haven’t been “in wrong place at the wrong time”??
Abuse of people in custody…no matter in what setting…whether it be in the military, prison, or county jail…is wrong. Having personally witness abuse of people in custody and still having nightmares about it years later (had one this morning)…I don’t understand how this woman could write a book and try to profit off of her crimes.
I remember this one (rather minor) incident (consider others I remember) where a woman who was in custody was being berated by two very large men (jailers). She looked masculine…presumed to be a gay woman by the staff…and they had her cornered, standing over her, yelling and swearing at her. I could hear all this through a door that was closed…they were on the other side and did not see me. I could hear her pleading for her insulin and they were so put off by her they just kept berating her. She was not combative or doing anything that would provoke such a response. So…I opened the door and just stood there. I didn’t say a word and I didn’t move. They stopped berating her and took her to the medical office where she was given her insulin. I walked the entire way with them…not really having any authority to do so…but did it anyways…for her well-being. I didn’t trust what they would do to her. One thing you never do is withhold medical treatment to people in custody…especially something like insulin. I remember several days later…the woman filed a complaint (her mother was an attorney)…and my poor excuse of a supervisor wrote up a short report for me to sign. I read the report and it was accurate only because it omitted much of what happened. I signed it…and I have since felt guilty…like I let this person down. I should have never signed it. I should have written my own report and submitted it. I don’t know what happened with the complaint…but I’m sure they made her look like a liar. I do hope where ever she is…she is doing well. I hope she isn’t having nightmares about her experience.