I don't think it has anything to do with Calley.
At best, I think it's a poor attempt to highlight what I presume to be Billybob's error in his statement but taken to an extreme point.
I think Billybob is missing a "not" in the sentence; otherwise his sentence makes no sense and would actually support the point he appears to be arguing against. For example, because, as written by Billybob, military service DOES absolve people of any stupidity, then as incorrectly attributed by Jim B to Lt Calley, anything you do (or say) is okay, as long as you're in the military.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billybob
Did you also think it was funny when the inherent substance of the question addressed to Santorum was that the gay soldier asking it thought “the bell could be un-rung”, appeared to have an personal stake in any imagined un-ringing of the bell, and wanted to know if future republican presidencies had any intent to circumvent the advancements of gays and lesbians serving in the armed forces after that proverbial bell has been rung?
If you find Santorum’s “I can un-ring the bell” position funny how is Sgt. Hill’s “a future republican presidency can un-ring the bell” position any less amusing?
As I stated earlier, on substance it was never a serious question. The audience should have booed, catcalled, generally made sport of such a pathetic ploy perpetrated by a pathetic pawn. If the questioner had been present in the space he would have deserved to be heckled off his miserably transparent soapbox. Service in the armed forces deserves to be respected but it does absolve anyone of the responsibility for any stupidity they might undertake.
|
I have bolded and underlined the portion of the quote in order to highlight it. It is otherwise unedited from Billybob's post.
Using Billybob's logic, as written, because the soldier IS in the armed services, he is absolved from any stupidity. If he's absolved, why would he have deserved boos and catcalls?
Jim B. may have been taken it at face value and extrapolated, and as near as I can tell falsely attributed, it to Lt Calley and tried to make a "I was in the military and only following orders and am therefore absolved" point.
If so, it seems to be in poor taste.
If not, then I don't understand what either Billybob or Jim B. was trying to say.