Unbelievable! "It is Fun To Shoot Some People"

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Gemtun

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Marine General Counseled Over Comments


WASHINGTON (AP) - A Marine Corps general with battle awards is being counseled to watch his words more carefully after publicly observing that ``it's fun to shoot some people.''

Lt. Gen. James Mattis, a career infantry officer now in charge of developing ways to better train and equip Marines, also made fun of the manhood of Afghans during comments Tuesday while speaking at a forum in San Diego.

On Thursday, Gen. Mike Hagee, the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, issued a statement of regret about Mattis' remarks, saying they reflected ``the unfortunate and harsh realities of war.''

According to an audio recording, Mattis had said, ``Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot.

It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.''

He added, ``You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.''

His comments evoked laughter and applause from the audience. Mattis was speaking during a panel discussion hosted by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, a spokeswoman for the general said.

Gen. Hagee's statement said, ``Lt. Gen. Mattis often speaks with a great deal of candor. I have counseled him concerning his remarks and he agrees he should have chosen his words more carefully.''

``While I understand that some people may take issue with the comments made by him, I also know he intended to reflect the unfortunate and harsh realities of war,'' Hagee's statement added.

Among Marines, Mattis is regarded as a fighting general and an expert in the art of warfare. Among his decorations are the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device and a combat action ribbon, awarded for close-quarters fighting.

He is currently the commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., and deputy commandant for combat development.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was up to Mattis to address his own comments, but he added, ``All of us who are leaders have a responsibility in our words and our actions to provide the right example all the time for those who look to us for leadership.''

Pace spoke to a Pentagon press conference. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he had not read Mattis' words and deferred to Pace.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil liberties group, called on the Pentagon to discipline Mattis for the remarks.

``We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event,'' said the council's executive director, Nihad Awad. ``These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life.''
 
According to an audio recording, Mattis had said, ``Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot.

It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.''

He added, ``You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.''

:rl: him to let him know how FUN it is. NOT
 
If we shoot him and he will howl that it is not fun.

What a hypocritical asshole.
 
Sicko.

That's all I need to say.
 
Big deal about nothing. :zzz:
 
Edit: I think this post is too harsh so I edited it out since I refused to lower my level to others.
 
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The military's sole responsibility is to fight for the U.S. They are not supposed to think for themselves. The military are taught to embrace killing and seek the destruction of the enemy, whomever they happen to be.

I fully expect this kind of mentality from my soldiers, especially career soldiers who have been doing this kind of fighting all their lives. Therefore the quote, while distasteful to us civilians, is not out of line in what the military is taught in their day to day thinking.

The more I think about it, the more I believe I wouldn't expect to hear anything less from a fighting machine whose sole job is to defend my freedom. Keep up the good work, soldiers, regardless of the fact that I believe that you're being used in a war I disagree with.
 
Too bad this war is just about the oil.
 
A person who has never served in an active combat unit cannot understand the mindset a person must develope to survive in combat. Physical and mental survival. This General is a Marine. A fighting Marine, not a REMF. It is called "seeing the elephant". The whole mindset of successful Marines is foriegn to civillians. And I would be willing to bet you that the man you judge based on these comments he made HAS been shot. Probably more than once. He took your bullet for you then proceeded to kill the man, or woman that shot him so that that person could not shoot you or his men.

It is too easy to sit at your computers and be armchair generals. Just pray that men like him are around when we need them, as they have always been. Otherwise, you would be speaking French. Or German. Or Japanese. Or Chinese. Maybe Arabic.

Codger :mad:
 
Codger, I have the utmost respect and concern for our troops.
I disagree, however, that they are taking bullets for our freedom.
They are dying for the oil companies.

And sorry, but I think that general is aware of it.
I come from a long line of military heroes, and my dad is a retired general himself. He agrees with me, it is the oil.

You are absolutely correct that in combat the training and conditioning take over, and quite a few feel JOY in killing. I have talked to Vietnam vets who say that they have never felt more alive than during combat. I have heard them admit that they would rape a Vietnamese woman, and at the moment of climax, someone would shoot her in the head so she goes into death quivers which supposedly enhance the soldier's climax. No lie.
I am sorry you are feeling so darn angry and feel that we ought to just leave them alone, let them do their thing.
PHOOEY on that.
An oppressive government inevitably uses its troops on its own citizens, and I am afraid that day is not long in coming at the rate we are going, and the longer our troops stay in Iraq, the more cruel and brutal they will become.
Bring them home and stop the insanity.
 
Then if you don't like the war, petition congress. Don't blame the soldiers. They are just the weapons the Commander in Chief uses. I did not like the police action in S.E. Asia either (Korean War part deux). But not all of us were rapers, murderers, psychos, thugs, war criminals. The vast majority of us just did what we were trained and ordered to do. When you are in the military you have no rights. Hurt yourself on purpose (or get a bad sunburn) and you are charged with destruction of government property. Because that is what you are. Property.
I don't agree with the decision to put troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. Oil is a component of the reason we are there. As is the money behind the vast military industrial complex. And there are twenty other reasons why we are there. Not the least of which is that Congress approved it. YOUR and MY Congress. Democrats and republicans. Officials with munition factories in their home districts.

You think that our military forces might be used against us? Give me the total number of military veterans alive today. Subtract all the active duty personel from that. Then look up the survey done a while back at a base in California on the question of whether or not the soldiers would be willing to shoot Americans.

AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! :dizzy:
 
Beowulf said:
...the longer our troops stay in Iraq, the more cruel and brutal they will become...
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Our troops fought terrible battles in the Pacific and Europe for four years during WWII. Most of them came home and adjusted to civilian life. They were our dads and granddads. They weren't "cruel and brutal".

Some of the kindest, noblest men I know fought in Vietnam. The majority of men who returned from that war weren't "cruel and brutal." Sure, some had problems (some short-term, some long-term). One reason for their delayed healing was the hostile attitude of their communities against military people. I don't think we want to see a repeat of that.
 
Reba said:
Our troops fought terrible battles in the Pacific and Europe for four years during WWII. Most of them came home and adjusted to civilian life. They were our dads and granddads. They weren't "cruel and brutal".

Some of the kindest, noblest men I know fought in Vietnam. The majority of men who returned from that war weren't "cruel and brutal." Sure, some had problems (some short-term, some long-term). One reason for their delayed healing was the hostile attitude of their communities against military people. I don't think we want to see a repeat of that.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately there will be a repeat of that. Just take a minute and look around this very forum. Some of the stuff I read is no different than those that spat on vets coming home. Welcome Home Boys.....


A person who has never served in an active combat unit cannot understand the mindset a person must develope to survive in combat. Physical and mental survival. This General is a Marine. A fighting Marine, not a REMF. It is called "seeing the elephant". The whole mindset of successful Marines is foriegn to civillians. And I would be willing to bet you that the man you judge based on these comments he made HAS been shot. Probably more than once. He took your bullet for you then proceeded to kill the man, or woman that shot him so that that person could not shoot you or his men.
Click to expand...

I'd like to add to this. Many people do not realize this but this happens here at home with various professions...in particular police and fire departments.

When I was a teenager, I signed up to volunteer at our local firehouse. It was here that I first experienced death. It was also the first time I had heard off-color jokes in regards to death. That was when I learned that a lot of these comments are made, sort of an outlet, so they can continue to do their jobs and live a normal life. I once heard a firefighter make a comment at a horrific traffic accident about 'losing your head over things'. I don't need to describe the accident as his comment says it all, but it was his outlet.

In my current line of work, I have seen officers make comments to the coroner when they come to pick up a body. Its now winter, so when the coroner walks in and you shake his hand, its ice cold (as is everyone who has been outside). A comment will be made. This allows somewhat of a lighter side because people in these professions deal with things in a day that most people do not deal with in a lifetime. Same with war. War is not pretty and making a joke about it is (unfortunately) and outlet.
 
Thank you

Stick a fork in me. I am done on this one. Next thing you know I'll be stampeding my women and rapeing my cattle.
 
Let me ask you this, Taylor and Reba...If you KNOW that a war is totally wrong, illegal, and immoral, would you still cheer the soldiers on?
NUTS!
Bring them home.


ROFL, Codger, I am done with this as well.
I will make no further posts in this thread.
 
It's important that a soldier be capable of killing, but it's also important to have a good mental health.

But to brag about how much fun it is to kill... err... not a good sign.
 
Well, Taylor does make a good point. In certain professions where people have to deal with deaths especially the brutual ones. Like he said, off-color jokes.

But these deaths also are usually not caused by these in the professions to begin with with the exception of cops. But the average cop doesn't kill a lot in their lifetime, some don't even kill at all.

With soldiers, they have to kill all of the times. So I don't exactly know how people would have to deal with that. Jokes are different, but bragging is different in my eyes.

Do you get what I'm saying? I often do wish they wouldn't have to release these sort of details in newspapers because I imagine it happen more than we'll like to know. But freedom... can't take it for granted.
 
I should add that the comments should not have been made in public.

Like police and firefighters, these aren't things you say in front of the victims family or in front of the general public for obvious reasons. Its a way of adjusting to a situation that the general public doesn't face.
 
i have known one guy.. a week before he was sent overseas.. to iraq. he told me he can't wait to shoot those guys and kill those Dogs (iraqi ppl)

i was stunned..:eek:
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
i have known one guy.. a week before he was sent overseas.. to iraq. he told me he can't wait to shoot those guys and kill those Dogs (iraqi ppl)

i was stunned..:eek:
Click to expand...
But you don't want him to say, "I don't know if I can shoot those people." That would endanger his life, the life of his fellow soldiers, and the mission. The soldier has to be mentally ready to kill, without hesitation. Uncertainty can be deadly.
 
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