# Abu Ghraib whistleblower and family in protective custody from death threats **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193 "2004-08-17T03:49:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/1 "2004-08-17T03:49:20Z")
> **[Breaking International News & Views](https://www.reuters.com/)** > [@](#): > > Relatives of the U.S. soldier who sounded the alarm about abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison said on Monday the family was living in protective custody because of death threats against them. As if what went on in the prison isn’t shameful enough… ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/2 "2004-08-17T04:13:39Z")
Yeah I saw that yesterday and thought “Land of the free, home of the brave” my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Ryle\_Dup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ryle\_Dup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryle_Dup)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/3 "2004-08-17T04:16:10Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Yeah I saw that yesterday and thought “Land of the free, home of the brave” my ass. What the fuck are you talking about? Are you saying the government sent him these threats? ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/4 "2004-08-17T04:27:31Z")
Who said anything about the government? Asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/5 "2004-08-17T04:29:37Z")
> [@Ryle Dup](#): > > What the fuck are you talking about? Are you saying the government sent him these threats? 😕 ‘Land of the free, home of the brave’ is supposed to refer to the American _people_, not government. And the losers sending these threats don’t sound too brave to me. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/6 "2004-08-17T04:34:58Z")
Perhaps the word “the” in “Land of the free, home of the brave” is singular? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/7 "2004-08-17T04:38:37Z")
Maybe. Which one of us gets to be free this month? ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/8 "2004-08-17T04:45:54Z")
Weird, I know they’re death threats, but how can that reflect on society as a whole as not being the land of the free? Because he/she/they said some bad words? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/9 "2004-08-17T04:55:22Z")
Lighten up **Revtim** , it’s just a few more bad apples. Don’t forget that for every one American who made death threats, there are thousands who didn’t.:dubious: I’m still waiting for Bush or congress to give Darby a medal of honor or something. He made a tough choice, and all he’s gotten for his troubles so far is shafted. ---
**Author:** ![dry\_gear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@dry\_gear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dry_gear)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/10 "2004-08-17T05:24:56Z")
God damn. This guy should have been given a medal. Someone should set up a site where people can donate money to him via paypal, and the money goes to him. One other thing: Why does the public know his name in the first place? Shouldn’t he have been kept anonymous so things like this didn’t happen? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/11 "2004-08-17T06:52:26Z")
This is what happens when you overdose on jingoism, kids. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/12 "2004-08-17T10:06:59Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Weird, I know they’re death threats, but how can that reflect on society as a whole as not being the land of the free? Because he/she/they said some bad words? If even one man is not free, then no man is free. That’s because whatever principle allows for the oppression of any, allows for the oppression of _any_. Myopic men focus on the rationale for suppressing freedom, rather than on the suppression itself. They are foolish. A rationale can always be crafted. “It is lucky for rulers that men do not think.” — Adolf Hitler ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/13 "2004-08-17T10:13:25Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > If even one man is not free, then no man is free. Horseshit. History is bursting with examples of men being free while other men were not. And quoting Adolf Hitler doesn’t help your premise… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/14 "2004-08-17T10:33:01Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > Horseshit. You feckless hack. What sort of intellectual coward fails to quote and rebut the argument’s supporting explanation, lifting only a snippet for his own convenience? Once again, whatever principle allows for the oppression of any, allows for the oppression of ANY. Rebut _that_. > [@](#): > > History is bursting with examples of men being free while other men were not. You have confused free men with fugitives. Freedom is the absence of coercion, and the criminals who initiate force are not free — they are slaves to their own immorality. They live by a self-damning principle. > [@](#): > > And quoting Adolf Hitler doesn’t help your premise… Obviously, it does. And you are a prime example of the sort of man he valued. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/15 "2004-08-17T10:44:02Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > You feckless hack. What sort of intellectual coward fails to quote and rebut the argument’s supporting explanation, lifting only a snippet for his own convenience? Once again, whatever principle allows for the oppression of any, allows for the oppression of ANY. Rebut _that_. I guess a feckless hack like yourself wouldn’t care that you’ve asked **Astroboy14** to rebut a silly tautology. A prinicple that allows “X” allows “X”. Rebut that! Hah! I win!. You fucking idiot. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/16 "2004-08-17T10:52:57Z")
> [@Desmostylus](#): > > I guess a feckless hack like yourself wouldn’t care that you’ve asked **Astroboy14** to rebut a silly tautology. A prinicple that allows “X” allows “X”. Rebut that! Hah! I win!. You fucking idiot. :rolleyes: Compared to you, Astroboy14 is a genius. All truth is tautological. I presume you know as much about logic as you do about politics and philosophy. I’m still laughing over your assertions that Ayn Rand was a libertarian, and that liberalism champions the stifling of personal freedom. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/17 "2004-08-17T11:00:10Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I’m still laughing… I understand that crazy people do this kind of thing. Tell me, is it the “evil genius” kind of laugh, or is it just the “run-of-the-mill fruitcake” type laugh? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/18 "2004-08-17T11:09:55Z")
It’s sort of how I laugh at my cat when she plays with her own turds. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/19 "2004-08-17T11:11:56Z")
Yeah, a few people make death threats and suddenly the country can only be referred to mockingly as the land of the free. I’m glad we don’t exaggerate things here or blow them out of proportion. As for giving this guy a Medal of Honor, hell fucking no. He should not receive any medal that is intended for combat soldiers. As a former Army officer I’ve known many men that have died bravely for their country and yet I’ve never known one who has earned the extremely high criteria for Medal of Honor glory. This is almost as bad as the morons who said Jessica Lynch deserved the Medal of Honor. Give the guy a congressional ctiation and some meaningless non combat-related medals and that’ll be fine. Done distort or muddle the bravery and valor in combat required to earn combat medals by giving them out for political reasons. I’ve seen far too many political medals given out in my time and I’ve never supported nor will I ever support them in the future in any cases. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193/20 "2004-08-17T11:28:34Z")
I say it DID take a huge amount of courage to do what he did. History has proven that whistle blowers usually get nothing but the shaft. I’m sure he realized his life would change forever after releasign those pics of his friends, and he was right. I don’t know that I would have done the same thing. I’d like to think I would, but you never know. Look at this guy now, having put his family through all this shit just to do the right thing. He’s probably feeling guilty as hell (I know I would bringing this shit on family), though he shouldn’t have to feel that way. I think this idea of having to say nothing out of a misguided sense of loyalty to friends or your organization is a HUGE problem here. You have cops and the blue wall of silence, some of the problems in fire-fighter units here in NY and NJ seem to point to the same problem in those organizations, and this appears to affect the armed forces too. Someone should shake these fucking people and remind them that they took an oath to follow certain ideals and rules, and allowing your buddy to break these does not make you a good cop/soldier/whatever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-whistleblower-and-family-in-protective-custody-from-death-threats/260193.md?page=2)