Hadji Girl

[isa268]

Your right, I’m sorry I found that song funny.

From now on I’ll just post with people that have a sense of humor.

[stratus]

I don't see what the big deal is.

I... just... don't.

Sorry.

[Hal]

Well, since July 4th is right around the corner how about a little Yankee Doodle - -

Songs and Oaths:
Yankee Doodle

The origins of the words and music of the Yankee Doodle are not known exactly due to the fact that the song has many versions. But, this patriotic U.S. song has an uncomplimentary history.

The music and words go back to 15th century Holland, as a harvesting song that began, "Yanker dudel doodle down." In England, the tune was used for a nursery rhyme -- "Lucy Locket". Later, the song poked fun of Puritan church leader Oliver Cromwell, because "Yankee" was a mispronunciation of the word "English" in the Dutch language, and "doodle" refers to a dumb person. But it was a British surgeon, Richard Schuckburgh, who wrote the words we know today that ridiculed the ragtag colonists fighting in the French and Indian War.

Soon after, the British troops used the song to make fun of the American colonists during the Revolutionary War. Yet it became the American colonists' rallying anthem for that war. At the time the Revolutionary War began, Americans were proud to be called yankees and "Yankee Doodle" became the colonists most stirring anthem of defiance and liberty.

During Pre-Revolutionary America when the song "Yankee Doodle" first became popular, the word macaroni in the line that reads "stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni" didn't refer to the pasta. Instead, "Macaroni" was a fancy and overdressed ("dandy") style of Italian clothing widely imitated in England at the time. So by just sticking a feather in his cap and calling himself a "Macaroni", Yankee Doodle was proudly proclaiming himself to be a country bumpkin (an awkward and unsophisticated person), because that was how the English regarded most colonials at that time.

- http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/yankee.html

[marlboroman84]

I remember in basic wrapping a towel around my head and dancing in the barracks and such foolery as all that and it was funny to me and the rest of my platoon. Even the Drill Sgt. laughed,(he made me do 25 pushups anyway), but he laughed. I think the biggest thing is that so much stuff is "caught on tape" now. It's like a death sentence to be caught doing some silly on camera. The whole deal of investigations and such over a video is just ridiculous though. So we should just throw young marines,sailors,or soldiers in the brig because they made up a silly song or said something UN-PC? Bullcrap.
While I don't fully agree with ranger on all his statements I do agree the military is not designed as a peacekeeping group. We are destroyers and killers by definition. Not the best view of us true, but I don't remember taking handshaking or diplomacy training in BCT. I do remember stabbing dummies with bayonets while screaming KILL though. I say leave the boy alone. He's got enough problems with some group breathing down his neck over a song.

[Eghad]

How is the guy singing when his mouth is closed? I finally saw the video...but the guy appears to be lip synching or parts the soundtrack appear to be dubbed in???????

[rhgunguy]

If he has the duty to fight for us and possibly die, then he has a right to sing what ever the heck he wants to. Its called free speach.

[pickpocket]

And with free speech comes the responsibility of understanding that things you say may cause certain reactions in people who hear you...right, wrong, or indifferent.

Like I've said, I don't care that the kid was singing a stupid song. I spent enough years in the big Gun Club to sympathize with a grunt's sense of humor....because I was one. I'm not faulting him for "singing" - I'm faulting him for not having the presence of mind to keep from posting that crap on the internet. It's one thing to know we have a sick sense of humor - it's entirely another to prove it to the people who are already trying to hang these kids out to dry - i.e. Haditha.

Perception is reality - and there are two wars being fought here. Failure to understand that virtually ensures that you will be a casualty of one of them.

As someone who has spilled blood and lost friends for this country and this war, I would punch this kid in the mouth for being an idiot. This isn't like the video of the two kids knocking over the port-o-crapper. This is material of a bit more serious nature, especially in light of what the media is already trying to do to us. Why help them out?

[dev_null]

Finally got to see the clip. My previous comments stand, for the most part. This looks like an in-house thing that should have stayed in-house. Yes, it's funny, especially when you're there and people you've never met are doing their best to ruin your day. Yes, it sucks that people who don't want us there will use this as fuel for the fire. But that's reality, kids. Had it stayed in the barracks, or mess tent, or wherever they did it, it would have been no big deal. But the fact is that we are not supposed to piss off the very people we are trying to help get on their feet. Nor is it smart, when people want us to look bad, to do their job for them. Gallows humor and military songs, often obscene, have historically been a part of war -- hell, we sang that song about Hitler only having one, uh, gonad, in Boy Scouts. Frankly, I don't have a problem with the guy singing, but rather with whoever leaked it to the web. Should never have been filmed, IMO.

[nagantfan]

I just read on Yahoo that the poor Corporal who sung the song has apologized and our friends at whatever organization it is that is so outraged by it "welcomes" his apology.

This comes after (yesterday?) some Major publicly criticized the song and the Corporal. The article makes a mention of "looking into" the video.

Here's the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060614/...q_marine_video

That kid shouldn't apologize for a freaking thing. I wonder what kind of squeeze the brass put on him. My stomach turns just thinking about it.

Patton would have given him a medal or a field commission. And Georgie wasn't even a Marine....

OTOH, Robert E. Lee would NOT have been amused.

But Chesty Puller would've kissed him full on the lips. And he WAS a Marine.

I started this thread to get some points of view, and got just exactly what I wanted...different perspectives. One reason why I like TFL so much. And thus far, it's all been civil.

The cooler heads here say the Corporal shouldn't have done it, and perhaps that he should be punished (at least a little) for it.

The more impetuous among us (including me), feel he should be praised for it.

More thoughts, folks?

[Abndoc]

G.I. humor can be sarcastic, callous and downright cruel. That said, it's also part of the soldiering experience. That Marine didn't say or do anything that thousands of G.I's have been doing since before the Roman days.

Where he screwed up, is video taping it.

[pickpocket]

Amen.

And just for the record - the song is freaking hilarious.

If you want the actual words it's on BlackFive's homepage:

http://www.blackfive.net/

I didn't post them here so as not to stir up any crap. You want them, seek them out

[MeekAndMild]

Anybody recall Lee Marvin wearing coconuts and a grass skirt in the movie "South Pacific"? History documents the fact that soldiers have been making up songs of every kind: bawdy, obscene, satirical, inspirational for at least 2500 years.

Sounds like some of the general staff needs to give up soldiering and join a convent.

[Denny Hansen]

The lingo was taken from the "movie" Team America; a friggin cartoon! It was intended as humor in front of fellow Marines and not intended for wide distribution. This type of “dark” humor takes place every day between police officers, firemen and other emergency services. It’s a way of relieving stress and means (don’t fall off your chair) absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.

To me this is no different than the cartoons of Hitler or Hirohito and their henchmen in WWII. Of course, that was before we were all enlightened and so very political correct. Nowadays we refer to murdering scum (who kill a lot more or their own, innocent people than they do U.S. troops) as insurgents. That’s so mild it’s almost pleaseant. :barf:

Give me (not to mention the young Marine who’s risking it all by serving his country) a break.

Denny

[Glock 31]

Where he screwed up, is video taping it.

Maybe everyone missed this part of the news article.

He said his buddies pushed him on stage with his guitar while he was in Iraq in September and someone posted it on the Internet. It has since been removed.

If this statement is indeed true, sounds to me he was just using bad judgement, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Doesn't appear he even new it was either, being recorded, or was posted on the net.

It was intended as humor in front of fellow Marines and not intended for wide distribution. This type of “dark” humor takes place every day between police officers, firemen and other emergency services. It’s a way of relieving stress and means (don’t fall off your chair) absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.

+1. People who don't understand this, don't have to do it.

I wonder if anyone got upset when bloody war was depicted as light humor in "Full Metal Jacket", when the marines are singing the mickey mouse song at the end? Maybe it wasn't as 'offensive' but did that cause as much of an uproar as this did, or was it just shrugged off cause it was just a movie?

[SixForSure]

Originally Posted by Wildalaska

Killing is never a good thing, even though sometimes it has to be done. Not glorifying it is what sets civilized man apart from beasts

Wildalaska, you are absoultely right about killing being necessary at times, including our involvement in Iraq (at least in the beginning).
The second part of your statement though, I humbly submit, is backwards. The beasts kill out of necessity, either for defense or food. They Kill. They move on. No fanfare, no announcements, no news conference. It is "Civilized Man" that glorifies it.

[exar]

I started this thread to get some points of view, and got just exactly what I wanted...different perspectives. One reason why I like TFL so much. And thus far, it's all been civil.

I tried that over at THR. Apparently they're too high road for this discussion.

[Art Eatman]

When I wa in Korea, 50-some years back, I learned all manner of profane and obscene and racist lyrics which were put to existing tunes. Hank Snow would have gone ga-ga over what was done to "I'm Movin' On" and the Weavers wouldn't have approved even a little bit of our version of "On Top Of Old Smoky".

The difference between then and now is video, email, "TV" cell phones and all this high-tech stuff that doesn't keep "guy stuff" only among the guys.

What's done in camp oughta stay in camp. Period, exclamation point.

Sure, it's an imperfect world, but that doesn't keep our guys from being ambassadors in the eyes of the rest of the world. All of us are judged by the actions of a few. That's the whole deal with GIs and Hershey bars.

Art

[croyance]

But how on EARTH can you condemn this 20-year old kid for SINGING a !@#$#$%^ song?

We all support gansta rap, right?

[jcoiii]

Killing is never a good thing, even though sometimes it has to be done. Not glorifying it is what sets civilized man apart from beasts

Uh, as far as I know, beasts don't glorify in killing anything. They just kill it and eat it.

These guys have to have a way to let off steam. And so freakin what if someone had their feelings hurt over this.

THERE IS NO RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED

[Coinneach]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're supposed to be over there to HELP the Iraqi people. How does singing a frankly lame song about KILLING them advance us towards that goal?

[STAGE 2]

I'm not on the up and up about military regulations and what soldiers can and can't do. However, that said, I have two points.

First, our soldiers may be ambassadors, but I believe this took place with a bunch of guys and no civilians. As a result, even assuming a grunt should have the responsibility of being an ambassador (which is debatable in another conversation) he certianly wasn't wearing his ambassador hat at the time and thus shouldn't be held to that standard.

Secondly, granted the information age has changed things, but how many of us have done things in front of a camera, stopped and thought about the potential for it becoming plastered all over the internet. Probably none other than the most paranoid. Even if his buddy told him, "yeah I'm gonna put this on my webpage" who has the kind of foresight to think about whether or not it might be front page news. Nobody. Why? Because we all lead uninteresting lives that nobody, least of all the major news media, wants to know about.

Is it the brightest moment in this kids life, probably not. But then again if you're getting shot at so I can sit here and waste time posting on a gun board, I'm gonna give you a hell of alot of leeway in what you say and do.

Probably the most important thing about this is the fact that no one was harmed. I can't remember the quote or who said it, but the essence of it is that people can say anything they want, but words simply can't hurt you. That is true here. For those that use this as an excuse for violence against us, they would have found something else had this not happened.

As for the hearts and minds, that really doesn't matter at all. As I have said before, I don't care if you love me or even like me. All I care about is that you respect me. At the end of the day thats all that matters. If we set the proper tone we will be respected. Unfortunately it hasn't happened yet.

[Kyote]

SOOooooo glad I'm not in the Corps anymore. When you sat up an "L" ambush, weren't you just a tad giddy about the prospects?

[johnsonrlp]

If they punished everyone in the military who commited no no's like this, we wouldn't have a military. Seriously, I could probably write a novel about this.

[dev_null]

Seriously, I could probably write a novel about this.

You could call it M*A*S*H* ... or Catch-22.