"It's Fun To Shoot Some People"

Yahoo has an article today about a Marine Corps commandant who had to discipline a senior subordinate for making the above comment.

I think it's all about inflection. If he said "It's fun to shoot some people," that's obviously very wrong. And if he said, "It's fun to shoot some people," then that's wrong and also really strange. Like, what else has he been shooting that he assumed was more fun to shoot than people? Soda cans?

But if he said, "It's fun to shoot some people," then this comment, while insensitive, is also basically a statement of fact. It would be a good deal of fun to shoot certain people.

I'm not saying it would be fun to kill anyone. But to shoot someone in a non-fatal way? I can probably issue you a list of at least 30 people who could use some lead in their shoulder or kneecap. Or even just a fleshwound. Something to wipe that wretched smirk of Zach Braff's face. Um, I mean, some unnamed person whom I'd like to shoot.

Actually, according to the article, the subordinate, named James Mattis, said the following in a speech in San Diego at a forum on strategies for the war on terror.

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. ... It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

The few. The proud. The Marines.