No one in America willing to hire disgraced Abu Ghraib soldier

[Liberty Star]

Is this Abu Ghraib soldier getting a fair shake in American society following her Iraq return?

Abu Ghraib scandal haunts W.Va. reservist

AP – Lynndie England, former Army reservist and the face of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, is pictured …

By P.J. DICKERSCHEID and VICKI SMITH, Associated Press Writers P.j. Dickerscheid And Vicki Smith, Associated Press Writers – 29 mins ago

KEYSER, W.Va. – More than two years since leaving her prison cell, the woman who became the grinning face of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal spends most of her days confined to the four walls of her home.

Former Army reservist Lynndie England hasn't landed a job in numerous tries: When one restaurant manager considered hiring her, other employees threatened to quit.
She doesn't like to travel: Strangers point and whisper, "That's her!"

In fact, she doesn't leave the house much at all, limiting her outings mostly to grocery runs.

"I don't have a social life," she says. " ... I sit at home all day."

She's tried dyeing her dark brown hair, wearing sunglasses and ball caps. She even thought about changing her name. But "it's my face that's always recognized," she says, "and I can't really change that."


England says the most painful jab came in a note from a stranger who suggested her mother "shoot herself for raising somebody like me, and that I should kill my baby and kill myself, or give up my child for adoption, because the way I was raised they didn't want him to turn into some evil monster, too.

"... and then at the end of it they were like, 'Oh, God bless you,'" she adds with a wry laugh.

As a teenager, England hunted squirrels and fantasized about becoming a storm chaser. As a woman, she has more worries than dreams.

She worries about whether she's a good mother to her 4-year-old son Carter.

"Normal moms have jobs. They get up, they take their kids to school, they go to work, they come home, they cook, they clean, they do all that," she says. "I'm home all day."

She says she submitted hundreds of resumes for all kinds of jobs, but no one would give her a chance. She stopped trying months ago and depends on welfare and her parents to get by.

She also fears for her life, though she's 4,000 miles from Iraq: "I'm paranoid about that one guy who still hates me."

Even if she could go back and change something, England says she wouldn't. If she hadn't met Graner, she says, she wouldn't have her son, the one bright spot from an otherwise dark time.

"I couldn't have Carter exactly as he is without anybody else except Graner," she says, "so to me that's the whole reason for me meeting him."

What she wants most now is what most mothers want, to give her child a good life.

And as for herself? "I don't think beyond day to day."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_re_us/us_abu_ghraib_england

 

[NerveShocker]

I could feel sorry for her.. but I didn't see any sympathy of her face when she was torturing people who have never been proved of doing anything criminal. I think this is a great example of what should happen to people who torture other people or do any other inhumane acts. This is exactly what she deserves in my opinion. Maybe other people will think twice for now on before they blindly follow orders. Her situation sucks but one evil act can ruin your life, that's her own fault.

 

[Liberty Star]

Karma or Divine justice did come to my mind too when I read this story and hard to feel sorry for her when she still says this:

Even if she could go back and change something, England says she wouldn't. If she hadn't met Graner, she says, she wouldn't have her son, the one bright spot from an otherwise dark time.

But it is still remarkable story that no one even from pro war or neocon community has reached out to her just because she applied the "enhanced interrogation techniques" with some innovations.

 

[evilfunnystuff]

fuck her she earned her misery and honestly i dont buy it if she wanted a job she could have it im 100% sure there are tons of places who have no clue who she is or what she did or does and supports it and ill bet with this exposure she gets some cushy position from some warmonger who feels sorry for her

 

[Steeleye]

Maybe she can rent herself out as a dominatrix to sickos who like to be treated bad by fat, dumpy butt ugly chicks.

 

[StilesBC]

No sympathy.

None whatsoever.

 

[Mini-Me]

I could feel sorry for her.. but I didn't see any sympathy of her face when she was torturing people who have never been proved of doing anything criminal. I think this is a great example of what should happen to people who torture other people or do any other inhumane acts. This is exactly what she deserves in my opinion. Maybe other people will think twice for now on before they blindly follow orders. Her situation sucks but one evil act can ruin your life, that's her own fault.

This is exactly how I feel...

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

She's a scapegoat. No higher ups were charged. She didn't even routinely work with prisoners - she did paperwork but was around when those photo's were taken.

"Families of the other soldiers facing charges insist that they were acting under orders from military intelligence, CIA interrogators and private contractors, who told them to soften prisoners up for questioning."

-t

 

[tremendoustie]

This is how ostracism works. I don't believe an entire justice system can be based around it, as some do, but it is a powerful force.

 

[Sean]

She's a scapegoat. No higher ups were charged. She didn't even routinely work with prisoners - she did paperwork but was around when those photo's were taken.

"Families of the other soldiers facing charges insist that they were acting under orders from military intelligence, CIA interrogators and private contractors, who told them to soften prisoners up for questioning."

-t

Yep, they pretty much blamed the lowest of the low for official policy.

 

[tremendoustie]

Yep, they pretty much blamed the lowest of the low for official policy.

The lowest of the low should also be prosecuted, and held responsible, just as Nazi low level thugs were also rightfully held responsible, despite their protests of "just following orders". Those who do evil things "on orders" are not exempted from responsibility for their actions. Evil orders should be refused.

 

[Kludge]

I'm surprised she hasn't been murdered, yet.

 

[loarmistead]

That's very unfortunate. She did something stupid, she was tried, did her time, and now she's free. It's just sad that the public has to be so openly antagonistic towards her... then again the people who pass her on the street and criticize her are probably the same ones who vote... and we see what the voting populace has given us lately... so stupidity seems to be a logical explanation.

 

[Reason]

she is not THAT recognizable...

I call horseshit on this.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

she is not THAT recognizable...

I call horseshit on this.

Keyser, West Virginia - population 5,303...

-t

 

[Reason]

Keyser, West Virginia - population 5,303...

-t

touche...

but then again...

 

[James Madison]

I have no sympathy for this woman. She disgraced all those who have worn the American uniform honorably.

 

[Isaac Bickerstaff]

I'm surprised she hasn't been murdered, yet.

She is in no danger. The people that are disgusted by her have something she does not: morality.

As far a being a scapegoat, what would have happened to her if she disobeyed orders and did the right thing? She would have gone to jail. Hmmm. . . Or maybe, if the public moral outrage against her is so great for what she did under orders, she would have been a hero for blowing the whistle on the sickos further up the chain of command.

 

[james1906]

Maybe she can rent herself out as a dominatrix to sickos who like to be treated bad by fat, dumpy butt ugly chicks.

I was thinking she could have a career in porn. But yeah, I'm sure there's plenty of men (and women) out there ready to play S&M with a top pro. I wonder if Dennis Hof would hire her.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

She is in no danger. The people that are disgusted by her have something she does not: morality.

As far a being a scapegoat, what would have happened to her if she disobeyed orders and did the right thing? She would have gone to jail. Hmmm. . . Or maybe, if the public moral outrage against her is so great for what she did under orders, she would have been a hero for blowing the whistle on the sickos further up the chain of command.

Disobeying orders in time of war is considered treason. If found guilty, it earns you a firing squad. If she was lucky, a long, long prison term. Strictly speaking, her commanding officer would have been perfectly justified in taking her out back and shooting her with no trial or investigation for such a stunt.

As is, she was sentenced to something like 15 years in Leavenworth and is out in 2. She was lucky - VERY lucky!

As to how much of a disgrace she is - she's not. The problem is the pics leaking. These people were being interrogated to get information to save American lives. As an example of other techniques used to soften up interrogatee's - it is common practice to put someone in a cold atmosphere, and douse then with ice water so they are uncomfortable and their genitals constrict. Then, seated naked in front of interrogators, have a female member of the team who is above average in the looks department make snide comments about the prisoners "hardware". This is to break them down and make them vulnerable. Sometimes that makes the subject crack and give info about stockpiles and future attacks. If it saves American lives, even sometimes - whats your problem? Look at those pics again with that in mind. We are talking about war here.

Also remember that Islamic males have more of a "macho" complex than Hispanic males. It's a touchy spot in their whole belief spectrum and exactly the right one to attack to soften them up.

She did absolutely NOTHING wrong!

-t