Recently, the United States Marine Corps closed a sad chapter in its history with the sentencing of Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix. Felix was convicted of hazing and maltreatment of over a dozen recruits at Parris Island. Felix was sentenced to 10 years in prison, his rank was reduced to private, and he forfeits all pay and received a dishonorable discharge. Felix had targeted Muslim recruits, in particular, with his hazing, calling them ISIS, terrorists, and had even ordered one recruit into an industrial-sized dryer and ran it till he renounced his faith. The March 2016 suicide of Raheel Siddiqui, after Felix had slapped him, prompted the investigation that eventually led to his conviction. The question is: Did the punishment fit the crime?
People who think the sentence was right feel that Felix was a bully who was destroying marines, not making them. They see his actions as horrible and cruel, and as ones that take away a person’s humanity. Many wonder how forcing a person into a clothes dryer and running it till he gives up his faith is turning someone into a good solider. They feel that breaking recruits physically and mentally is criminal behavior and it was right to send him to jail.
Those who believe the sentence is wrong feel that Felix just did his job. A drill instructor has to make boot camp as hard as possible to prepare these recruits for the horrors of war. No matter what a drill instructor does to a recruit, an enemy will do much worse. Boot camp is about making soldiers, not accountants or teachers. You have to break a person physically and mentally to rebuild them into being a solider.
WXYZ-TV Detroit covering the marine corps hazing story:
The Issue
Did the sentence of Joseph Felix Fit the crime? Was Felix a bully who was destroying good marines? Or, did he do his job?
Yes, the punishment was right
People who feel the punishment was right say that Felix was nothing but a bully at best. He tormented the people he was supposed to be teaching. His behavior led one young man to commit suicide and he should face the consequences of his actions.
Justice was served.
— Literary Diva (@Divashouse) November 10, 2017
— Connected Marines (@ConnectedMarine) November 10, 2017
JUSTICE! Marine Drill Instructor Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Abusing Recruits https://t.co/XWk336ihMf
— LeDonne Essential (@LeDonne_Prime1) November 10, 2017
Men and women join the military to serve not to be mistreated and abused
— Ralph Smith (@Muckingfoggy) November 10, 2017
No, the punishment was wrong
The people who feel the sentence was unjust say that Felix was just doing his job. They feel that he has to prepare the recruits to face the horrors of war and so he has to make boot camp as awful as possible. If he doesn’t, then those young men and women will die.
Isn't that what drill instructors do?
— Paul Hiatt (@Scribe1969) November 10, 2017
Marine drill instructor gets 10-year sentence for abusing recruits
You can thank Obama inc. for this PC hit job on a Marine Drill Instructor.
Political correctness has infected our Military and will effect the making of Marines.— ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿ USMC╤─── (@USMC_Michaels) November 11, 2017
All we did by convicting this man is make our country weaker. And I’ve never served a day in my life and I’m saying this.
— Larry G (@larryg2170) November 10, 2017
@realDonaldTrump @POTUS – Consider pardoning Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix . A United States Marine Drill Instructor is one of the toughest jobs in the world. What "crime" did Gunnery Sgt. Felix commit that thousands of other Marine Drill Instructors did not? God Bless our Marines
— Richard P Kairnes (@KairnesRichard) November 11, 2017
Do you think the punishment of Joseph Felix was right?
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