England gets 3 years with the blame game defense

Stardate 4622.8

Fort Hood, TX - PFC Lynndie England was dishonourably discharged and received 3 years in prison for her part in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuses. Her excuse didn't get her off the hook, but then should it have? No freaking way. I think 3 years is a joke as it is. Considering the rammifications of her actions, and the other soldiers who were already charged in this affair, 3 years seems pretty darned lenient. She has both directly and indirectly helped fuel the anti-war sentiment in not only the US but all over the world, as well as redefining the treatment of prisoners everywhere, thus endangering the lives of peacekeepers, US troops, and in fact any troops that are captured in conflict.

But I digress... She succumbed to peer pressure. Her big, mean, probably quite hairy, domineering boyfriend (who got many more years than her) made her do it. The smiles, grins and laughter were all a front, put on just to titillate his senses. This is no different than the teeager who falls in with the wrong crowd... You know, the kid who smokes pot because his buddies do, or starts drinking to hang out with the cool guys under the bleachers at the football game... or sells her body to buy the heroin she got into with her boyfriend...

It's a sad tale that society has dealt with forever. Fact of the matter is, it should NOT be an excuse. It is all part of the big blame game that society has taken on as the solution to everyone's mistakes. Why not blame it on her parents? Her upbringing? Her boyfriend?

Why not just take responsibility for your actions? That is what people REALLY need to do.