We Have A Duty To Criticize Military Officers When Wrong

Too often in this country, we fail to criticize senior officers (and ex-officers) of the military when they are wrong (just like we do with religious figures and doctors).

This was illustrated this last week, when the White House Press Secretary berated the media for questioning ex-general Kelly. Kelly had been wrong when accusing Rep. Wilson of misdeeds. But Press Secretary Sanders said it was wrong to question a "four star general". She was wrong.

In this country, no one is above the law -- and no one is above being questioned and criticized when they screw up. And that includes the military.

Consider this from USA Today:

Since 2013, military investigators have documented at least 500 cases of serious misconduct among its generals, admirals and senior civilians, almost half of those instances involving personal or ethical lapses, a USA TODAY investigation has found.

Many cases involve sex scandals, including a promiscuous Army general who led a swinging lifestyle, another who lived rent-free in the home of a defense contractor after his affair fell apart and another who is under investigation for sending steamy Facebook messages to the wife of an enlisted soldier on his post.

Now these weren't enlisted personnel or junior officers. They were SENIOR OFFICERS in all branches of our military.

I'm not trying to denigrate the military in general. Most of our military personnel (at all levels) serve honorably, and they deserve our unflinching gratitude. My point is that those senior officers in the military are human beings (just like the rest of us) -- and some of them are not very smart or ethical or moral human beings (again, just like the rest of us).

They should not be put on a pedestal and never questioned. And when they do stupid or unethical or immoral things, they need to be criticized -- and they should be expected to apologize.

General Kelly owes Rep. Wilson (and all Americans) an apology -- and he should not be excused from making that apology just because he was a four star general.