Damn! Brit lawmakers are as stupid as ours!!
LONDON (AP) — Britain's lawmakers Tuesday granted posthumous pardons for soldiers executed during World War I, ending years of campaigning by the families of men condemned to death for cowardice.
Around 300 soldiers, who were executed during the 1914-1918 conflict for failing to return to the front lines, were included in the pardon. The pardons acknowledge that many of the men suffered shell-shock from the horrors of the war and thus refused to return to their units.
In 1993, then-Prime Minister John Major ruled out pardons because "we cannot rewrite history by substituting our latter-day judgment for that of contemporaries." In a debate in the House of Lords in June, however, Lord Dubs said he appreciated that attitudes had changed since the early 20th century.
"The executed soldiers deserve better treatment than to be remembered as cowards; instead, they should be remembered as brave men who were willing to fight for their country in difficult conditions," Dubs said.
Wait a minute, "deserve better treatment"? The charge was cowardice under fire. They weren't willing to fight. They refused to return to their units and fight, ergo, guilty as charged. The punishment? Execution.
The families of the executed men had brought three lawsuits against the government, each one exposing the flawed trials the men received. In one case, a soldier was tried and executed on the same day as his offense.
The Defense Ministry said that though the men have been pardoned, their convictions or sentences will not be quashed.
In plain American English, this means "OK, all you cowards, you're forgiven for being cowards, you're still dead, and you're still guilty. Is it just me, or is this whole thing as meaningless and stupid as it sounds?
Around 300 soldiers, who were executed during the 1914-1918 conflict for failing to return to the front lines, were included in the pardon. The pardons acknowledge that many of the men suffered shell-shock from the horrors of the war and thus refused to return to their units.
In 1993, then-Prime Minister John Major ruled out pardons because "we cannot rewrite history by substituting our latter-day judgment for that of contemporaries." In a debate in the House of Lords in June, however, Lord Dubs said he appreciated that attitudes had changed since the early 20th century.
"The executed soldiers deserve better treatment than to be remembered as cowards; instead, they should be remembered as brave men who were willing to fight for their country in difficult conditions," Dubs said.
Wait a minute, "deserve better treatment"? The charge was cowardice under fire. They weren't willing to fight. They refused to return to their units and fight, ergo, guilty as charged. The punishment? Execution.
The families of the executed men had brought three lawsuits against the government, each one exposing the flawed trials the men received. In one case, a soldier was tried and executed on the same day as his offense.
The Defense Ministry said that though the men have been pardoned, their convictions or sentences will not be quashed.
In plain American English, this means "OK, all you cowards, you're forgiven for being cowards, you're still dead, and you're still guilty. Is it just me, or is this whole thing as meaningless and stupid as it sounds?
posted by Dalt Danyon at 10:55 PM
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