US General: "It's fun to shoot some people"

During a panel discussion in San Diego Tuesday, a top US Marine General tells an audience that it is "fun to shoot some people." The comments were made by Lt. Gen. James Mattis in reference to fighting insurgents in Iraq.



Do you believe it's fun to shoot some people? If you have taken human life before, for whatever reason, would you consider the act of killing people fun?


[edit on 3-2-2005 by syntaxer]

This would go in the catagory of "Things you should not say on tv even if you think them". Some people just don't have that little voice in their head that censors things.

well, I guess he picked the right career !

as long as he's shootin military targets, I don't really care if he thinks its fun or torture

Yeah, it's a wonder why a lot of these G.I.s, even ones that have never seen combat before, have a hard time adjusting to civilian life once they get out. Unfortunately that's what makes a soldier a soldier though.

Peace

but at the same time, I know a few people wo I'd like to beat the snot out of for no reason.

I have to agree with the other posters here. Id rather have my soldiers comfortable with killing than not. In the end thats what its all about.

It is barberic, but its war

Well ... he likes his job. He actually likes his job. How
many of us actually like our work? Anyone here sitting
in a cube at work pushing paper wanna' say they like it?

So he enjoys shooting idiots who are trying to murder people.
The people he shoots would kill him in an instant. I don't
doubt that he enjoys shooting them first. That makes him
a happy soldier, and one that's still alive.

(But I hope he de-toxes from the war before he gets
reintegrated back into society here - just in case.)

It doesn’t necessarily mean that he believes what he said, in fact he probably doesn’t. But by building an intimidating reputation for the corps they can gain an edge in combat that is not insignificant.

Harrison Ford?

Check this out. Gen Mattis will be portrayed in a movie
about the assault on Falluja, by none other tha Mr. Ford..

Ford Plays Mattis


PS,

Here is a little more of his statement. It was still a dumb thing to say, but
he did add some words, reflecting which people were fun to shoot.


From Reuters"
""You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said during a panel discussion. "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."


Also, he did say SOME people..

[edit on 3-2-2005 by spacedoubt]

"fun to shoot some people."

So it's fun to kill people is it?

Reminds me of a story in WWII where German SS soldiers rounded up some civilians and burnt them alive in a shed, I remember reading that one of the mothers tried to save her baby by throwing it out the window, and a laughing SS man that hurled it back in. I wonder if Mr. Mattis would find that 'fun'?

No matter what the circumstance, if you find it 'fun' to kill anyone, you are no different to the soldiers in that story.

Question: May I ask if the comment made here was by the same Christian officer that tried to justify a slaughter with religious fanaticism by stating "The devil was is in Fallujah, and we will destroy him" ?

johnny, maybe you should direct your comments to the person who made them.

Originally posted by Johnny Redburn
Reminds me of a story in WWII where German SS soldiers rounded up some civilians and burnt them alive in a shed, I remember reading that one of the mothers tried to save her baby by throwing it out the window, and a laughing SS man that hurled it back in. I wonder if Mr. Mattis would find that 'fun'?

Hey, if you just watched that Natzi burn up those women and throw that baby back in, you wouldnt get ANY satisfaction shooting him? I think if you were standing there holding a gun that German soldier would be dead and you would feel quite alright.

Please dont twist what that man said and liken him to a German baby killer. He is talking about being okay with killing slimebags, not babies and women.



[edit on 3-2-2005 by skippytjc]

Originally posted by spacedoubt
From Reuters"
""You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said during a panel discussion. "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."

It looks like Harrison Ford is gonna have to learn a new language, one that's chock full of double negatives.

When is this guy gonna do another Indiana Jones for cryin' out loud?!

If you were to ask Jeffery Dahmer with his psychopathic or sociopathic personality this very same question. I'm sure his response would be.. SURE it's fun to eat some people!

Riddle me this. Would the insurgent father who lost his wife and 2 daughters during the 'shock and awe' campaign, does his case scenario alone, allow him to shoot some people?

All is just right?

[edit on 3-2-2005 by syntaxer]

He likes his job... It might seem wrong to you, but you are not in his situation. After watching people that are his responsibility die by IED's an the like his reaction is actually pretty normal. It's called coping, people do it.
He shouldn't have said what he said, but his feelings are pretty normal.

[edit on 3-2-2005 by astral_ice]

I'm kinda relieved, in some strange way. Even though they'll plague message boards with right wing punditry when they get out of service, I think their lust for blood is a good thing. Be the best you can be and all that. His zeal is a little admirable, in a twisted way. Some guys run, some guys stay, some guys pull up their pant legs and hunker down for wetwork.

Also, the guy enjoys killing. I'm not saying anything. Especially about HIM.

Originally posted by radagast
as long as he's shootin military targets, I don't really care if he thinks its fun or torture

but thats the problem. He is a general. Therefore, he would reasonably be expected to be able to distinguish between a military and civilian target. If he enjoys killing so much, how can we be sure that he has been in the past, and still is, making the right call? We have already seen the contempt with which Paul Bremer and other architects of the occupation view non-american life, civilian or military.

The true horror of this war is not that so many have died. It is the disregard with which the US military machine treats those who have died, and those who are dying still. The US military is the greatest threat to world peace that has ever existed. We need a coalition of the willing against the US army.

[edit on 3-2-2005 by General Zapata]

[edit on 3-2-2005 by General Zapata]

find those who don't enjoy killing, who were there, and ask them if they think he ever went out of line.

If it's petty things, like showing his enjoyment, then that's not enough.
If it's one very disgruntled person, they may not be a reliable source, since there's only one.

Originally posted by General Zapata

We need a coalition of the willing against the US army.

There is one: Its called Terrorism. And any nation or entity who is part of it will fall.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Hey, if you just watched that Natzi burn up those women and throw that baby back in, you wouldnt get ANY satisfaction shooting him? I think if you were standing there holding a gun that German soldier would be dead and you would feel quite alright.
[edit on 3-2-2005 by skippytjc]

You are correct, I would not have been able to control my rage and would have shot at those German troops if I were in such a situation, however I would not feel 'alright' about doing it once I calmed down, in fact I would probably not be able to forgive myself for committing a similar act to those I judged.

johnny, maybe you should direct your comments to the person who made them.

I apologize for not clearly stating that my angry comments were not directed at any of you fine people, but rather at the General in question.
And yes I know he is not on here, but I was angry when I first posted, ok?

[edit on 3-2-2005 by Johnny Redburn]