Killing of Innocents Reprehensible Whether by Random Individuals or US Military
by John Lawrence, March 19, 2019
Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 50 innocent civilians in New Zealand, was fighting a war just as much as any nation that has murdered innocents anywhere. There is always an outpouring of emotion - candles, flowers and notes - and media coverage. When innocent civilians are killed by US bombs, however, there is no similar outpouring or media coverage. Such was the case for the wedding party on July 6, 2008 in Haska Meyna, Afghanistan when 47 innocents were killed. This was a similar tragic event but was just considered collateral damage by the US military. There is no similar outpouring as thousands of innocent children are killed and starved to death in Yemen either. Thank God, the US Democrat controlled House of Representatives has voted to end US involvement in that travesty. But it won't stop until the Democrats control the Senate as well.
White nationalist attacks like the one in New Zealand are terrorism pure and simple. However, they are not talked about in the same way as attacks by Muslims. President Trump is all too eager to talk about Muslim terrorists, but not so eager to talk about white supremacist terrorists like the one who carried out the attack in New Zealand even referring to Trump by name in his manifesto. The Washington Post reported:
The White House’s response to the New Zealand attack more broadly fits into a by-now expected pattern. When an apparent terrorist or hate attack has been committed by a Muslim, Trump is quick to draw attention to it. When it targets Muslims, however, Trump’s responses are slower and tonally different. That pattern itself helps bolster questions about Trump’s willingness to condemn violence against Muslims.
The murder of innocent civilians should be condemned wherever it happens and whoever is the perpetrator including the US military. It just can't be written off as collateral damage as Timothy McVeigh did after killing innocent children in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. That blast killed at least 168 people, injured more than 680 others, and destroyed one-third of the building. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 other buildings within a 16-block radius, shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, and destroyed or burned 86 cars, causing an estimated $652 million worth of damage.
It's obvious that terrorist attacks can occur anywhere and can be perpetrated by people with widely varying motives. However, since Trump took office, more Americans have been killed by white American men with no connection to Islam than by Muslim terrorists or foreigners. The International Criminal Court also wants to look into US war crimes in Afghanistan, but the US is doing whatever it can to impede them. The Wall Street Journal reported that "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is imposing visa restrictions against International Criminal Court officials, citing investigations by the ICC into the activities of Americans and their allies in Afghanistan." The slaughtering of innocents by the US military is just as much a threat to peace and civility in the world as the random acts of terrorists like religious or ethnic bigots. Therefore, an investigation into US war crimes is completely warranted. Pompeo is not only threatening visa restrictions. He's threatening sanctions as well as the US ramps up the sanctions war against anyone and everyone who disagrees with it.
The Guardian reported:
“I’m announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US personnel,” [Pompeo] said.
This would include anyone who takes, or has taken, action to request or further an investigation, he told reporters.
“If you’re responsible for the proposed ICC investigation of US personnel in connection with the situation in Afghanistan you should not assume that you still have, or will get, a visa or that you will permitted to enter the United States,” Pompeo added.
The secretary of state said visas could also be withheld from ICC personnel involved in conducting probes of US allies, specifically Israel.
Pompeo said “implementation” of the policy has already begun but he did not provide any details, citing confidentiality surrounding visa applications.
“These visa restrictions will not be the end of our efforts,” Pompeo said. “We’re prepared to take additional steps, including economic sanctions, if the ICC does not change its course.”
So the US isn't to be held accountable for its crimes including supporting the Saudi war effort that has killed and starved thousands of children in Yemen which is going on today. And the US needs to broaden its outlook on terrorism within the US to include white nationalist and white supremicist murderers. When innocents are murdered either by random individuals or by the US military, the perpetrators need to be held accountable. As for Brenton Tarrant, the New Zealand murderer, since New Zealand doesn't have the death penalty, perhaps he should be extradited to Saudi Arabia where he will rue the day he ever became a white supremicist.
New Zealand's prime minister has promised to change the gun laws. Let's hope she sets an example by outlawing military style weapons and instituting a strict licensing procedure that would make it 100 times more difficult to own a gun than to drive a car. In my opinion that would still be within Second Amendment rights in the US.
