Columnist forgets guilt still must be proven

Julie Muhlstein asks in her June 25 column, “Americans serving their country in the military who are accused of murder. What is there to say?” How about innocent until proven guilty? The entire tone of her column smacks of a perceived belief of guilt. She goes on to describe a novel she read about a Senate candidate who participated in the My Lai massacre. What possible business does fiction have in this column? It sounds like she is saying that is similar to the current situation. The mere fact that she even brings that up sounds like she’s already made up her mind.

Then she has the nerve to say, “Only they know. They have to live with whatever happened.” Again, sounds like a guilty verdict on her part. If they did nothing wrong, they don’t have to “live” with anything. However, if innocent, what they will live with is what a mess this has caused in their lives.

I refuse to believe that they are anything but innocent unless they are proven to be guilty. I just didn’t get the impression that Julie Muhlstein is giving them that benefit of a doubt.

I support Rob Pennington and the seven others along with all of our brave men and women fighting over there.

Ginni Deleone

Lynnwood

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