STAFF EDITORIALS
The Voice of California High School

As many students may have heard, a video went viral last month of four U.S. Marines urinating on the dead bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
With acts of military misconduct like this, it’s not hard to see why our nation is hated by many countries around the world.
First of all, such an act is a major violation of war ethics. It may be necessary in combat to injure and kill enemies. But once dead, fallen fighters deserve to be interred with respect.
It is not hard to imagine what those Marines were thinking. They were probably very frustrated with the War in Afghanistan, which has dragged on for a decade.
They probably saw many of their fellow soldiers being shot and bombed by Taliban forces. So, decided to take out their anger on dead Taliban insurgents by desecrating them while saying “Have a great day, buddy,” and “He likes his shower,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
But they should have thought twice before doing this. They should have foreseen the disgrace they might bring to the Marine Corps, and to the U.S. military campaigns. They should have also foreseen how this might affect U.S. diplomatic missions.
On Jan. 3, just two days after the end of the Iraq War, the Taliban called for peace talks with the U.S. to resolve the Afghani conflict. Zabihullah Mujahed, a Taliban spokesman, said “We’ve seen this video and we consider this the most disrespectful, inhuman, and immoral act.”
Despite the Taliban’s obvious anger, they have assured the talks will go on as planned. We are lucky, because if the Taliban was not this indulgent, the act of three Marines could have changed the course of the war.
Although the Marines wanted revenge for what the Taliban did to their countrymen, they should have realized that revenge may not be as satisfying as it seems. The Taliban may be violent to our servicemen, and that’s why they are notorious the world over. But if U.S. military forces behave the same way, a bad light will fall on our country as well.
The U.S. military is losing its respect for other reasons as well, such as the bullying of Asian-American soldier Danny Chen, who was mercilessly harassed by his comrades.
One day last October, Chen was forced to crawl on gravel while being pelted with stones. He was found later that day in his guard post after having committed suicide, according to the New York Times.
In both cases, the acts of a few servicemen have seriously damaged the reputation of American Armed Forces, both domestically and abroad.
If America is to regain its dignity, then its soldiers have to be conscious of their actions and how they will reflect upon their country.