Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Holder salutes JAGS
At a speech at West Point today, Attorney General Eric Holder said:
"In our current struggle against international terrorism, when others surrendered faithful obedience to the law to the circumstances of the time, it was the brave men and women in the JAG corps who stood up against the tides, many times risking their careers to do so."With due respect to the JAG corps, nearly all of whom are fine people, I am not sure that the word "brave" applies here, especially speaking in front of a military audience. They risked their careers? Maybe, but most JAGS leave the service and go on to have decent private practice careers that don't involve the UCMJ. Bravery is a loaded word at the academies, most commonly associated with actual combat or combat training.
Or maybe AG Holder just really liked the old CBS TV show.
Or maybe he just has a thing for Tom Cruise.
Come to think of it, why would Eric Holder attend a conference at West Point? Is it a political appearance to signify a break with the past? There's this quote:
"If a detainee is too dangerous to release, yet there are insurmountable obstacles to prosecuting him in federal court, what shall we do?" Holder said. "Though we do not yet know the answer, I pledge that the ultimate solution will be one that is grounded in our Constitution."Well, no answers, but we have his pledge, so that's good.
9 Comments:
By 
Roy Lofquist, at
Wed Apr 15, 10:41:00 PM:
Ivy League bubble think meets the real world. What's the over/under?
By 
, at
Wed Apr 15, 10:47:00 PM:
It bothers me, both as a lawyer who actually tries cases (as contrasted with "trial lawyers" who merely chase ambulances) and as a patriot, that this clip is not terminated after Nicholson delivers his lecture to the wimp Cruise. The next exchange, a Perry Masonesque confession, in actual courtroom never happens.
By , at
Wed Apr 15, 10:55:00 PM:
what shall we do?Release them at 30,000 feet. If they can learn to fly before they hit the ground, they're free to go.
By , at
Wed Apr 15, 10:56:00 PM:
I should add that it also bothers me that a man who made his mark freeing terrorists and auctioning pardons for Bill Clinton, while now presiding over our once proud USDOJ presumes to lecture actual patriots about their supposed duty to extend our nation's constitutional protections to foreign enemies.
By , at
Wed Apr 15, 11:16:00 PM:
I don't know how many JAG lawyers have ever actually risked their careers but i imagine a few of them have put their popularity on the line a time or two, particularly those serving in the war zones, tasked with making serious decisions that can affect operations. It's not all that much fun being the skunk at the party. Not that war is a party or that lawyers are....uh, well, never mind.
By Escort81, at
Thu Apr 16, 12:07:00 AM:
Sally, I think a JAG officer is most certainly capable of bravery, particularly, as you point out, in a war zone. I just have qualms with the word being used the way the AG used it, in the context of risking a career.
Anyone who puts on a uniform is deserving of our thanks. We can, however, dilute the meaning of words such as "bravery" and "courage" in a military setting. The JAGs the AG refers to showed "strength of character" or "dedication to legal principles" -- great, go with that.
By Roy Lofquist, at
Thu Apr 16, 12:56:00 AM:
Story:
January, 1961. Basic training, Ft. Ord, California. Two men.
A Corporal, cadre in the basic training company, 12 years in and still E-4.
The cook - about 30, short and kind of roly poly. He owned a restaurant. His wife was killed in a car accident and he just wanted to find refuge in an Army kitchen.
The Corporal rode the cook unmercifully. Cookie never said a word. Graduation day. We got to wear our medals. You know, Marksman, Expert, whatever. Cookie's got some fruit salad, Purple Heart with Cluster, Silver Star and a Combat Infantryman's Badge.
The look on that rat's ass Corporal's face? Priceless.
The point? The CIB is always worn at the top. The rest of the stuff is mostly luck - lucky if it's not posthumous.
There are two words that I hold very dear. Hero and friend. Not your ordinary dictionary definitions.
By TigerHawk, at
Thu Apr 16, 01:29:00 AM:
The fact that after almost eight years in this war even Eric Holder does not "know the answer" to the final conundrum is virtual proof of two things. First, that the law of war needs some revision to cope with issues such as the jihadi war and piracy, and, second, that the Bush administration was acting in good faith when it made the decisions that it did, however unpopular they are among the chattering classes.
By Escort81, at
Thu Apr 16, 11:44:00 AM:
Great story, Roy, thanks for sharing that. I infer the Cookie saw action in Korea, based upon the dates and his age. My father's long-time tax accountant is very active in Korean War veteran groups, and he usually has a few good stories to tell when we meet with him. It's really the only think that makes tax time bearable!
