Chaitred revisited, part 3

A reader writes this morning:

I just wanted to thank you for helping to keep the TNR/Beauchamp debacle alive. I am the mother of a soldier serving in Iraq. While I never believed for a minute that Beauchamp’s fables were typical behavior of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, I was keenly aware that there is a large population of people who do believe this, want to keep believing it and want to promote and expand this belief among others. I hate that. My son and his comrades have recently lost six of their fellow soldiers to IED attacks. Another soldier lost his leg. It isn’t easy for the rest of them to carry on professionally and with resolve, but they are doing it. TNR’s stories, invented by Beauchamp, eventually became the equivalent of spitting in the faces of these men.
The current stonewalling by TNR and their refusal to admit their errors, shows me that they didn’t simply make a mistake. Having committed to these stories they have circled the wagons and don’t intend to lose face. I could have forgiven all of them, including Beauchamp if there had been the slightest indication of remorse; even the recognition that the stories were harmful to our troops and to all the people who love them. These are people who live in an alternate universe, self-petting, ambitious and self-righteous beyond belief. Every vestige of respect for their opinions and efforts is simply dissolved. It was harmful to the whole military whether they serve in Iraq or not.

Now that “the editors” are back from vacation and paternity leave, perhaps they can bring their investigation to a conclusion.

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