Soldiers are considered to belong to an honorable profession. They join the military to serve and defend their country, their community, their families and their lawfully elected government. Most of the time they do this at considerable personal and financial sacrifice, they put up with all the hardship for low wages that are below the official poverty level. They obviously do not join the military for money but mostly with a sense of duty and loyalty to their country.

Then there are the terrorists, whom I consider common criminals. They do not serve a country, a community or a lawfully elected government. Some of them are fanatical zealots, some are mercenaries, some are delusional lunatics but none of them is even close to honorable.

Now there are some politicians who want to elevate those social outcasts to the same honorable level as soldiers by granting them military courts-martial or trials. I think granting them those military procedures is an insult to every soldier.

Terrorists kill indiscriminately—matter of fact, they plan and try to kill as many civilians as possible. They do not live by rules and laws, and elevating those rootless thugs to the same level as soldiers is ridiculous. Treat them as the common criminals they are and don’t equate them with a legal military army.

Al Meiler

East Aurora