Judge our soldiers fairly; Heat of battle is a hard place to make life-or-death decisions

The news story sounded depressingly familiar: U.S. Marines hadcome under a bomb ambush, followed by a small-arms attack, and theAmericans opened fire. Among the dead in the aftermath werecivilians, including a child. Now, the troops find themselves facingaccusations of excessive force.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq cough up these stories with someregularity. With possible charges looming or under orders from theirsuperiors, the troops can't say anything. The articles occasionallyinclude a passing reference to the complexities of the environmentthese young warriors face. With the accused silent, the words of theaccusers dominate news coverage, which leaves you with the …