A Hero or A Pariah?

I never thought that Spc. Joseph Darby, the young soldier who exposed the torture of prisoners at abu Ghraib would be considered anything other than a hero. But I guess I should not have been so naive.

Rivka, at Respectful of Otters, reveals the ugly reality:

In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised Darby for his "honorable actions." But Washington is a universe away. "They can call him what they want," says Mike Simico, a veteran visiting relatives in Cresaptown. "I call him a rat."

[snip]

An Army spokesman confirmed that Darby is on leave in the United States but wouldn't disclose where he is.

Read the rest of the story, but be prepared to be saddened by the revelation of the worst of us as Americans and as human beings.