Iraqi Prison Abuse Scandal: "Maybe they were born that way!"

May 7, 2004

There are too many unanswered questions about "Picturegate."

For those of you who have lived in a cave for the past week, I'm talking about the pictures that show a handful of American soldiers allegedly abusing Iraqi prisoners. While I'm not defending the actions of the alleged perpetrators, I'm curious as to whether the wall to wall chorus of shrill outrage by liberal Democrats is an expression of real concern or more of a thinly veiled attempt to politicize the situation. Personally, I opt for the latter.

There are some aspects about this alleged abuse with which I am really uncomfortable. Firstly, there has been far too little discussion about why the few individuals who committed the alleged abuses made a bunch of Iraqi prisoners pile on top of each other in a human pyramid. Were these just angry individuals who had no business being in a position of authority, or was there a deeper motive? In addition, what motivated them to take pictures?

Could it be, as Rush Limbaugh mentioned in passing on a recent broadcast, that the perpetrators of the alleged crime are homosexuals? If that's the case, maybe the motivation for their activities was far different than from what has been discussed in the media's wall to wall coverage of this incident. If these individuals are homosexuals, maybe they were getting stimulated by looking at naked Iraqis in sexually provocative positions.

Of course, as Limbaugh said because of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy concerning homosexuality we'll probably never know the answer, but I think the scenario is still definitely worth considering.

After all, it would answer why the alleged activities took place and it would also provide a solution to the really bizarre question as to why pictures were taken of the humiliating and sexually suggestive poses.

Why, you ask? Many people believe that homosexuals have a much greater potential than heterosexuals to be sexual predators. In addition, a sizeable number of sexually dysfunctional individuals (aka sexual predators) take pictures of their illicit acts. It gives them an opportunity to glory in their "conquest" as they visually relive their sickening activities.

But here's an interesting scenario to ponder that Limbaugh also mentioned. If this was ever found out to be the case, what would those liberal defenders of homosexual marriage and "gay" rights do?

Would liberal Democrats have to adopt an different attitude to this situation and quit their incessant criticism of the Bush Administration and the liberation of Iraq? It's definitely something worth thinking about. After all, if the individuals involved in these alleged crimes were homosexual, or there was a homosexual element involved, who can blame them. They would just be acting out their natural biological inclinations, right? And (so the theory goes) who could fault them for that because their actions would have been a result of the way they were born, not in any way the volitional actions of a lifestyle choice.

As you ponder this startling revelation, here's something else for you to think about. "Picturegate" exploded upon the public consciousness after the graphic images of the alleged abuse were shown on 60 Minutes 2. But as talk show host Sean Hannity commented recently, this was not some big scoop that the 60 Minutes team discovered. There was already an ongoing investigation into these allegations of abuse. The military was already aware of the charges and was taking appropriate action.

The question begs to be asked. Who gave the now infamous pictures to CBS and for what reason? Was that person paid? What was their motive for providing the images to 60 Minutes? Could it have been to cause political damage to the Bush Administration? Was there some journalistic skullduggery running amok at CBS?

The answer to THESE questions is almost as interesting as the reason the pictures were ever taken in the first place. C'mon CBS. Maybe it's time to fess up. Inquiring minds want to know.

Jeremy Reynalds

He was honored with the prestigious Jefferson Award in 1994. Reynalds emigrated from England to the United States in 1978 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1999. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico and is a candidate for the Ph.D. in intercultural education at Biola University, located in La Mirada, California, just outside Los Angeles.

He is also the author of two books and a contributor to a third, which deals with the media's images of the homeless. He may be reached by e-mail at reynalds@joyjunction.org.