Marines could face death in SoCal trial

[LiberalNation]

I wonder how many people in total are in the marine corps. Either way all the bad press with marines in the headline can't be good for their image.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080305/ap_on_re_us/charged_marines;_ylt=Ahju.HF8jiKB5jv8GNizMmFvzwcF

LONG BEACH, Calif. - A judge has ordered three U.S. Marines to stand trial on a murder charge that could mean the death penalty if they're convicted.

The civilian judge in Long Beach, Calif., ruled Tuesday that Cpl. Ramon Hernandez, Pfc. Glenn Landers and Pfc. Anthony Vigeant — all in their early 20s — should be tried on a charge of first-degree murder during an attempted armed robbery.

The three are accused in the death of David Pettigrew.

Long Beach Police Detective Patrick O'Dowd says Hernandez admitted shooting Pettigrew last fall. The detective says Pettigrew was shot because Landers and Vigeant claimed he owed them cocaine and money.

[MtnBiker]

What relationship did the crime have with the Marine Corp?

[Monkeybone]

hmmm. few bad apples.

serves these guys right.

[LiberalNation]

Marines commited it, that's all the relationship needed for it to make headlines. Seems like a media blitz to me, these stories must get good ratings.

[Monkeybone]

What relationship did the crime have with the Marine Corp?

derr. that they were marines and all military (marines especially) are bad.

[MtnBiker]

So do you believe that what ever demographic group a person belongs to while commiting a crime should be link to the crime as well?

[LiberalNation]

Not really but if it makes rating you can bet the media will make it. So how many people are in the marines.

[MtnBiker]

Not really but if it makes rating you can bet the media will make it.


So the media is serving its own interest in regard to ratings.

[Monkeybone]

about 220,000 (active and reserve)

[LiberalNation]

Of course, we live in a capitalist society don't we. What you don't support capitalism now or somethin.

Now me, i also post these stories for the ratings aka responces I think they'll get.

[Monkeybone]

So the media is serving its own interest in regard to ratings.

basically. be it throwing dogs or dealing drugs and shooting ppl. those always make batter stories than rescues and such.

[LiberalNation]

about 220,000 (active and reserve)

Larger then I thought, I was only guessing around 40,000.

[Monkeybone]

Larger then I thought, I was only guessing around 40,000.

no, that is about the reserve size. Coast Gaurd is the smallest.

[hjmick]

What relationship did the crime have with the Marine Corp?

The three men accused of the crime are Marines. Other than that, nothing. In LN's defense, the thread title accurately reflects the title of the linked article. As for her opening opinion, I have to agree with her, it doesn't look good. I realize that the people serving in our armed services are a microcosm of the real world and that there are bound to be some bad apples among the enlisted just as there are in civilian life, this can not be avoided. There does, however, seem to a recent rise in crimes and controversies involving military personnel that have hit the headlines. It may be an anomaly, and statistically the numbers may be on par with civilian crime, but that does nothing for the image we get through the media, as you well know.

I think that most people expect, whether rightly or wrongly, that the men and women serving in our armed services to be above this sort of activity. They think that the training they receive should instill some sense of integrity, chivalry, honesty, morality that wasn't necessarily there before and enhance those same qualities in people who had ample shares to begin with.

[Monkeybone]

yah, i mean cocaine? sheesh. atleast in the Air Force it is just booze.

[theHawk]

Not really but if it makes rating you can bet the media will make it. So how many people are in the marines.

Why not run a, "Three black men accused of murder" story? Or has that become too common for anyone to care?

[LiberalNation]

That causes other drama and makes them look racist which is bad for business.

[Monkeybone]

That causes other drama and makes them look racist which is bad for business.

yah, right now it is much cooler to be anti-war/military/president.

[MtnBiker]

The three men accused of the crime are Marines. Other than that, nothing. In LN's defense, the thread title accurately reflects the title of the linked article. As for her opening opinion, I have to agree with her, it doesn't look good. I realize that the people serving in our armed services are a microcosm of the real world and that there are bound to be some bad apples among the enlisted just as there are in civilian life, this can not be avoided. There does, however, seem to a recent rise in crimes and controversies involving military personnel that have hit the headlines. It may be an anomaly, and statistically the numbers may be on par with civilian crime, but that does nothing for the image we get through the media, as you well know.



Don't get me wrong, I understand where LN was coming from and the title of the article. I was just questioning the news worthyness of the article. The sad reality is the murder of someone over money and drugs would not cause much media attetion. It was agreed that them being Marines did not have a relation to the crime. So what was the intent of this news article, ratings, perception of the military?

Why does there "seem to be a recent rise in crimes involving military personnel"? There could very well be no rise at all only a rise in reporting. If the media mentioned the color of hair that murderers had people may begin to wonder why so many red heds where commiting murders, for example.

[hjmick]

All very good points and you're right on all of them.

The wording of my comment was wrong, it's the rise in the appearance of such stories in the news that I was trying to convey. I have no idea of the numbers, good or bad. The intent, as I see it, is to sell paper, get ratings, that age old story, ratings baby, ratings. If it bleeds, it leads, the more salacious the better. In some obtuse way, they may be attempting to link battle stress to the crimes and perhaps blame Bush because he took us to war. I doubt it, but who knows anymore.

[Monkeybone]

they should walk the plank since they are Navy. same with that guy that was convicted of emailing his ship details.

[82Marine89]

If they were good Marines they wouldn't have left a corpse to be found.


Actually, any branch has about 5-10% shitbirds. These three appear to be in that bottom percentile.

[MtnBiker]

Of course, we live in a capitalist society don't we. What you don't support capitalism now or somethin.

Now me, i also post these stories for the ratings aka responces I think they'll get.

I do support capitalism.

Papparrazzi are part of our capitalist system. I believe the product they produce and hock is absurd, as well as the people that keep them in business.