Monday, July 04, 2005
OFFER MADE
From a review of Jack Coughlin’s Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper, this description of events following Baghdad’s liberation:
The only sour note of the day came from the so-called “human shields,” leftists who had gone to Iraq supposedly to protect the people from the U.S. military and leave them safe in the arms of Saddam Hussein’s secret police. They stormed out of their shelters and began cursing the Marines as “baby killers."
A group of “surly” Iraqi men approached Coughlin and offered to beat the liberal protesters to death for their insults.
The use of “offered” calls to mind an image of exquisite politeness: “Excuse me, sir, but I couldn’t help but overhear those unruly people accusing you and your fellows of infanticide. Would it be entirely out of order if we were to redress matters by, say, beating them to death? Please, no need to answer directly; we merely ask that you consider our offer. Do continue.”