A lesson on the art of forgiving...

Below is an article from my local paper, and these parents are just amazing to me. The act of forgiving someone for something is a tough thing. We all can take a lesson from these parents. I am not sure I could forgive the shooter or the Marine Corps.

Both of my best friends sons were Marines, as well as one of my cousin's sons. My father was in the Navy, I have always had a great deal of respect for the military. I remember when I was fresh out of high school, my father had filled out a card from a magazine with my name, you know, the ones that express your interest in joining the Navy. It was quite a surprise when a recruiter called me.…

Looking back, I kind of wish I'd had it in me to do so. I know my father would have been proud. He never had a son, and at one point in my childhood I guess I could have been considered a little bit of a tomboy. I enjoyed doing things with my dad. He would mow the lawn at the old school house we owned, and going with him sure is one of my fondest memories.

This article caused me to lose a lot of respect for the military. Yes, the man is being punished, and has to live the rest of his life with the consequences of his actions. But…why….why…did it happen in the first place? There are so many better ways to "build trust and promote teamwork". It kind of scares me to think that the military protecting our country uses this type of thing to supposedly build trust. Well….I am one person who has lost some trust in the military by having read this.

Bless that family for their loss, and especially for their ability to forgive….


By Tom McNiffManaging EditorPublished: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 2:19 p.m.Last Modified: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 2:34 p.m.

The parents of a U.S. Marine who was shot and killed by a superior during a game of "Trust" say they've forgiven the shooter, who was sentenced to eight years in the Marine Corps brig recently.

Damian and Lucy Malone said Cpl. Mathew Nelson, 25, who admitted to shooting Lance Cpl. Patrick Malone earlier this year in Iraq, turned to them during his sentencing hearing Sept. 10 with tears in his eyes.

"He turned around and he was crying, and he apologized," Lucy Malone said. "He said he loved Patrick and if he could trade places with him he would."

The Malones, along with their surviving children and extended family, had an opportunity to testify at Nelson's sentencing in North Carolina. They described it as a celebration of Patrick's life, as the prosecutor flashed photos of the young man dancing and laughing, and family members took turns recalling the young man's passion for life and for the military.

"I forgive him," Lucy Malone said of Nelson. "I forgave him a long time ago. If I don't forgive him, I won't go to Heaven and I won't see my son.

"He (Nelson) is the one suffering now. My son's in Heaven," she said. According to military investigators, Patrick Malone was lying in his bunk one evening after getting off duty. He was either watching a video or listening to music on an iPod, his parents said.

Nelson, who commanded the second section of Malone's platoon, entered the the wooden hooch the Marines called home, walked over to Malone, pointed a 9mm pistol at him and asked "Do you trust me?" or words to that effect.

Militarytimes.com, an independent military news Website, said Malone smiled at Nelson. Moments later, the gun fired and Malone was struck in the forehead.

Fellow Marines were unable to revive Malone. "Trust," according to Militarytimes, is a game that is played in various forms by soldiers. In some cases, a ranking officer will partially slide a magazine into a pistol, pretend to pull the slide back to load a bullet, point the weapon at a subordinate and ask if the solider trusts him. After the solider answers, the officer either pulls the trigger of the empty gun or lowers the weapon and clears it.

Ironically, what has been described by some Marines as a way to build trust and promote teamwork is a violation of the military's most fundamental weapons safety rules.

"I learned in Boy Scouts, you don't point a weapon at anyone, loaded or unloaded," Damian Malone said, "The Marines say they'll reinforce that now. I thought that was obvious. You would think the Marines, above all, would know that."