Pantagraph.com | News | Iraq war veteran charged with raping 3-month-old

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

HereItIs wrote on Mar 6, 2008 9:37 PM:

" The Vets deserve mental and physical health when they return. This should be a given. It is not an excuse for what he did. I got tickled at Billary the other night. She was talking about how veterans should get more and better care after returning home from the military. The Billary administration immensely cut back on the military and their benefits. If you don't believe it, google it - it's there. She also blasts Bush for firing attorney generals (8-10 I believe) whereas the Billary administration was closer to 80. Double talk / Let's get a Pres that will treat the Vets right and won't talk out of both sides of their mouth!! "

Curious... wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:34 AM:

" How did this child end up in this mans care in the first place? Or was this a kidnapping scenario? Of course this man is dealing with some serious issues and needs serious help. This poor child has still been put through a very bad deal. Hopefully due to being this young the damage can be repaired and this will not effect her later in life. I just still cannot even begin to imagine what goes through the human mind to cause such acts. "

FactsOnly wrote on Feb 25, 2008 6:49 PM:

" While sifting through these posts looking for the predictable twisting of the issue into racism by an African: today's obvious prize-winner is Minawa Penasse!!
Well done. Even though the bigotry is polite, you still get your agenda across.
Your prize is a 'denial hat'...When worn, it enables you to ignore the fact that 60-70% of global paedophilia takes place in Africa.
Judging by your post, You've already got last year's prize: The 'Denial Hat' which ignores the the global and local crime hotspot stats. Blood debt? Have you looked at the deficit in the african account? It's the biggest of them all. "

To: Zazu wrote on Feb 23, 2008 11:45 PM:

" It's your own choice how much you drink, saying it's "illegal" to get too drunk, we'd all have to carry breathalizers to make sure we weren't "above the .12 limit" you suggested. Seriously everyone is affected differently and everyone has a different tolerance. So that is a stupid idea... "

MediaMike wrote on Feb 23, 2008 2:25 AM:

" These soldiers swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States. That Constitution does NOT provide for the offensive attack of another nation. As long as these soldiers blindly obey unlawful orders, and fail to shoot the officers giving them, or at least lay down their guns and say, "NO SIR!" then these soldiers are criminals of the worst kind. They do not deserve the support of the People who authorized and provided for a LIMITED federal entity to protect THIS country from invasion. "

ra Balke wrote on Feb 23, 2008 1:18 AM:

" That man is a war hero, and should be set free ! He should be given a government job, he would fit right in with the rest of them.... "

zazu wrote on Feb 22, 2008 6:48 PM:

" When is there going to be warning on alcohol products that excessive consumption does cause "blackouts" where you can end up committing horrendous crimes and not remember doing them at all...alcohol for this reason is the most dangerous of drugs and consuption should be seriously regulated and drunkeness made a serious jailable crime (above .12) It is the worst drug for violence etc yet is legal...at least never drink more that six drinks in 2 hours to avoid being in the position this poor soul now finds himself in and it is true to believe him that he has no memory as any one who has drunk to serious excess can tell you. ...the parents of the girl shoud also sue and prosecute the alcohol companies for this crime...it is their product that caused it and none one can say that this man would have done this if he were consious of his actions....I am sure he is suicidal about this and feels like crap.......both baby and prepetrator are victims of alcohol. "

Patrick Sullivan wrote on Feb 22, 2008 6:11 PM:

" Sounds like another "Intelligence operation." Our nuclear war fighting elite manipulate many of the peoples Minds and opinions by "Staging" these sorts of events.
The perpetrator may have been "Programmed" while he was in the service to commit acts in the future. Of course, the man may be completely innocent and someone else did the deed while he was "Knocked out."

These sorts of crimes are what produce the "Smirk Factor" in some of our elite folks.
Our elite get a great laugh each time they think of what they have gotten away with again. America; It's a real scream. "

G Davis wrote on Feb 22, 2008 3:12 PM:

" As somebody who served 2 tours of duty in combat I became numb to people and would go off at anytime for anyreason, you dont think about it you just do it, thats what you do in combat it keeps you alive it's just a reaction, and if somebody we knew bit it we would have a melt down and go out to look for revenge any way any how, Thank god with the love of people after I got out I learned how to become civilized again and not let things bother me, after the death of my Brother, a Viet nam vet from the 1st cav, I seen the hate that ate him up after He got back from the war, till the day He died He could never let it go and it cost him his life at 49 years old.Thanks to my wife I was able to be retrained thankfully, I would of been dead by now or in prison! "

mike mann wrote on Feb 22, 2008 3:00 PM:

" Bush has created monsters perverts predators violent criminals mentally sick soldiers who have killed raped assaulted murderered and now they do it back home. Payback for this peeping tom lying wasting silver spoon war monger criminal in order a million times over for the trillions in damages and millions in death and injury and suffering he has caused copying his alltime hero King Abe Lincoln the marxist. "

minawa penasse wrote on Feb 22, 2008 1:54 PM:

" my name is singing bird. Ask oneself, "Does the death of this one child carry the same debt as the death of the 40,000 children who die each day from disease, starvation or curable disease?" We say yes, beacuse we are all one. Remember, "The United States of America" are not just words, they live each time they are spoken. Does your creator love you more than your brother?; we say no, because we are all one. The same applies to Nations. For many years that ego has viscously coveted the reources, land, and beliefs of many other social memory 'entities' (shall we say) creating imbalance. This is what western society has failed to grasp. Spirit, Body and Mind is our tri-fold existence and we exist to bring them into balance, in benefit to ourselves and the One; very many are lost in Mind and neglect the others, thereby acquiring blood debts(Spirit) and bodily fat. So in this case one must prepare, in other ways, to pay those debts. live and be well white brother. "

peacenik_patriot wrote on Feb 22, 2008 9:05 AM:

" Here's one for ya.

The government is refusing mental health aid to retruning vets.

With drugging the GI to make him agressive and then drugging him to make him not feel so depressed and the drugging with amnesiacs to help them forget what atrocites that they have witnessed and or participated in, dont ya thing those guys might have some "issues" and really need help?

Remember they will come back home and will be unleashed among the populace.

Something that I am not looking forward to.

How about you? "

edna knows wrote on Feb 22, 2008 8:51 AM:

" To Ryan:

Is that why statistics show that rapes and murders are disproportionately high anywhere in the world that hosts a US Marine base. Come on, they take the most "going nowhere" young people from our cities and small towns and train them to be deranged killers. They have to be trained that way, otherwise they won't kill enemy soldiers.
War is an ugly business, run by ugly masters and the troops are just fodder. And when the troops come back from war they are ****ed up individuals. Not all of them, of course, but too many of them are forever warped.

I can't imagine, with our current video game/people as meat culture that the rate of dangerous mental illness in returning veterans will be going down in instances as compared to past war veterans.

America, lock up your daughters! "

Ryan wrote on Feb 22, 2008 12:38 AM:

" Interestingly enough, the statistics show that military personnel, including returned Iraq veterans, commit violent crime in numbers less than the national average. That is not to say that many, many returning veterans do not have some manner of psychological damage that they will hopefully receive care for. But this does NOT equate to "Returning vets rampage across the nation!" like some seem to think (or worse, want to believe).

The difference of course is the spotlight of media attention any time a "Vet" does anything kooky. And that spotlight, over and over, makes it look like an institutional thing when it fact its quite the opposite.

The simple truth of the matter is that an Iraq war veteran is a FAR greater danger to himself than he is to anyone else. And he is less of a threat to you than a random sample of our fellow Americans.

They need your compassion, not your condemnation. "

meg wrote on Feb 21, 2008 11:08 PM:

" "HOW DO YOU KNOW THE MAN DID IT?"

Do you really think the local PD, hospital and court have never heard of DNA?

These guys are comming back so messed up it's downright terrifying! "

Tim wrote on Feb 21, 2008 11:01 PM:

" You couldn't make this stuff up "

To: Vonnie wrote on Feb 21, 2008 9:30 PM:

" You are right, maybe he didn't do it, but if he was responsible for the child, and he took enough pills and drank enough to pass out and not hear the person come in, then isn't he almost as responsible as the preson who actaully did the act? "

Dave wrote on Feb 21, 2008 5:31 PM:

" I think the idea behind the headline and story is that many (and facts prove it) of the solders coming home from Iraq are messed up mentally.
I read an article they pass out anti-depression pills over there like they are candy.
NIU is an example of what prozac can do to a good person.
I feel sorry for these guys. I'm sure some who are killing others and themselves and committing horrable crimes like this are so messed up they don't know what they are doing. Evil wars have a tendency to do this to solders. "

jipsi, to "Hey Pantagraph" wrote on Feb 21, 2008 12:30 AM:

" You wrote that were cancelling your subscription (to the P) because they used a headline that you felt unfairly "targeted" our nation's military/vets, asking "why was it neessary" etc. Umm, excuse me, but this is a COMMON practice: some examples might be "Pontiac School Teacher Does -bleep and bleep-", "Area Doctor has -bleep bleeped-", "Local Artist was -bleep bleep bub-bleeped", and "Iraq War veteran charged with -bleep bleep-", etc. You're simply taking THIS one personally because it may affect you on a more personal level (as a vet, having a child or sibling in the service, etc.). THINK before you condemn. The title of the article was in no way 'out of line', as you charged; indicating the job, position or title of a person involved is a common news story practice, nationwide. "

vonnie wrote on Feb 20, 2008 10:12 PM:

" how do you no the man did it people...this is just a news paper printing what it wants but think about it the guy took pain killers and was drinking which would make you pass out pretty much ....how do ya no somebody else didnt come in while he was passed out and do somethin???? think about it! "

in lincoln wrote on Feb 20, 2008 7:33 PM:

" actually if it was a story about the veteran rescuing a 3 month old from a fire people would not have a problem with the title "

Me wrote on Feb 20, 2008 3:15 PM:

" They always say who the person is that did something like this. Example, the other article about molestation!! He was a unit 5 teacher, does that mean all the unit 5 teachers are molesters? I don't think that the pantagraph was trying to start something for anti veterans, this is just a horrible article that involved an iraq vet. Once you do something, you are always known for it. "

prison wrote on Feb 20, 2008 3:12 PM:

" you people know that if found guilty, this guy will not last two weeks alive in prison right? "

To Hey Pantagraph wrote on Feb 20, 2008 2:41 PM:

" It is a well known fact a lot of war veterans have serious mental problems regardless of how proud you are! "

To Negative wrote on Feb 20, 2008 2:05 PM:

" Anything to sensationalize the story. To get us scared that "omg... if the military men are doing it, no one's safe!" That's the answer. And I agree with Jon... those in the military are totally glorified in this country. But when they do something wrong, you're going to know about it too. Just makes for better news. "

The Happy Cynic wrote on Feb 20, 2008 1:44 PM:

" To "To Happy Cynic". Ah. Yes. You are right. It did happen in Mississippi, not Iraq. Thus, my connecting this particular story to my larger point was a mistake. However, my larger point is still valid. "

Lucy wrote on Feb 20, 2008 1:15 PM:

" TO: Big Skyy.....oooops not Blue Sky...anyway do i know you? "

Lucy wrote on Feb 20, 2008 1:02 PM:

" Do I know you BlueSky???? "

To Happy Cynic wrote on Feb 20, 2008 12:39 PM:

" Read the article again. It didn't involve any Iraqis...it happened in Jackson, MI. I doubt that it will cause any retailiation towards our troops in Iraq. "

Jon to "Negative" wrote on Feb 20, 2008 12:26 PM:

" Seriously? If anything, I'd say this country puts a golden halo around veterans. I can't tell you how proud my girlfriend's family is of their little brother who flunked out of high-school and joined the army...only to come home from Iraq and stab his friend. But, because he's a "war hero", nothing this guy does can be criticized. Oh, the cops totally let him off the hook for the assault too, since he's a vet. Another vet I know routinely gets out of speeding tickets by handing the patrolman his military ID. "

The Happy Cynic wrote on Feb 20, 2008 12:17 PM:

" I said nothing indicating that I think all American troops are like this guy, but your logically invalid conceptual leap is common. Criticize one single troop, ANY single troop, even if that one individual did something atrocious like this, and you are anti-war, anti-troop, and anti-American! What simpletons! Excuse me if I think our military should act like the upright people we claim them to be. However, way too many people (read: conservatives) think this reputation should just be given at boot camp graduation and never revoked. Sorry. Such reputations must be earned. I'm sure that the vast majority of the troops serve admirably and honorably, but when a William Calley wannabe arises, it is OUR job to hold them responsible and NOT to make excuses and laugh about it as I've heard many conservatives do. "

angry wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:43 AM:

" why is this man walking the streets free on bail??? "

The Happy Cynic wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:12 AM:

" Ugh. Another ugly incident that will no doubt inspire retaliation. I want to support the troops as much as anyone, but I simply cannot defend acts like this. Abu Ghraib, the rape and murder a 14 year-old girl and her family, video of a American troop murdering an injured and unarmed old man, and blatant acts designed specifically to offend Iraqi cultural taboos. And we wonder why they don't love us? I'm sure those who've been brainwashed to believe an American military uniform automatically makes you a morally perfect human being will be outraged that I question their warrior cult, but making excuses for this type of behavior does NOT serve the interest of America. Ultimately, it is our own ethnocentrism and unfounded perceptions of American moral exceptionalism that are to blame. To the way of Rome we go...and for many of the same reasons. Blind ambitions of power and wealth accompanied by an anti-intellectual attitude that disdains any understanding of the cultures we come in conflict with. "

Ads by Yahoo!

Online Degrees

Refinance Rates As Low As 5.34%

See Today's Mortgage Rates