Fury as Kiwi soldier accused of 'killing innocents'

[kiwi_2005]

This woman is worried if its safe for her to come back to New Zealand after posting in FB putting down one of the five kiwi soldiers who died in Afganistan last week. Don't bother coming back!

Barbara Sumner-Burstyn's remarks on Facebook, accusing Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker of "killing innocent people", attracted a vitriolic attack from some army colleagues.

"Oh, so fallen soldier Jacinda Baker liked boxing and baking - did they forget she also liked invading countries we are not at war with, killing innocent people and had no moral compass" Burstyn wrote on her Facebook page.
"She 100 per cent does not deserve our respect for her flawed choices. We are not at war. We are helping America invade another country for their oil. No more than that.

"Go to war expect to be killed. You can't have it both ways - oh nice little career with the military and shock horror when you get blown up."

The post went viral around the internet and last night 19,000 people had joined a Facebook group called "Sumner Burstyn give back your NZ Passport!".

Other comments incited violence against Burstyn.

The soldier who created the page, Ted Grainger, was prompted to calm the fury last night after threats were repeatedly left on the page by people including defence force personnel.
"Right people. No one on this site will advocate rape or murder. Context people ... I will delete posts that are out of context and are what I believe is wrong. Rape is wrong ... don't post it."

Burstyn, a filmmaker, told the Herald on Sunday she was currently in Canada and did not know when it would be safe to return to New Zealand.
She feared for her safety and that of her family in New Zealand who had to flee their home after her address and contact details were published.
She said the New Zealand police and Interpol were investigating the threats.

"The level of threat is very scary. They are threatening my life and that of my family while in uniform. Our peacekeepers who threaten rape and murder to someone who posts an anti-war message," she said.
"And to post my details and that of my family and threaten us all in such vile ways I think it is shameful and disgusting behaviour," she said.
Sumner-Burstyn has shut down her Facebook page and changed her email address but, in an interview with the Herald on Sunday, she did not resile from her comments.

A Defence Force spokeswoman said: "People are entitled to their own individual opinions and we leave it up to the public to judge whether it is insensitive to choose this time to criticise our fallen Defence Force personnel," she said. "Our people are grieving, as are the families of the three killed who are yet to bury their loved ones."
An administrator of the Facebook group Kane Te Tai engaged in an exchange with Burstyn to explain the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team's role in Afghanistan.

"We may operate under the banner of Operation Enduring Freedom but we have our own mission, one that does not include US policies and the like. We are in provincial reconstruction and that's what we do. Period.
"My time spent in Afghanistan with the Provincial Reconstruction team did not involve me carrying out direct action missions against the Taleban or the Afghan people," he said.

"We do not hunt down people nor do we fire many rounds (unless we are training). I can count on one hand how many engagements our country has had with the Taleban. How many civilians have we killed in our military history? A big fat zero. We do not fight this war unless they fight us first. Only in defence.

"Not one NZ soldier has engaged first in any conflict in Afghanistan so don't paint us with the same brush as the US. We aren't them," he said.
He explained that New Zealand soldiers have helped the people of Bamiyan building schools and Baker was a medic who joined the army to heal people, friend or foe.



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10829552

[kiwi_2005]

Maybe the threats against her and her family might be over the top a bit, but what did she expect after posting such comments. A kiwi putting down a dead kiwi soldier, the deceases family would still be grieving as well.

[mapuc]

This may offend you and some others

Last time I read about NZ they had democracy and the right to express themself freely.

So it was her given right to do so AND if some of the involved was offended then they should sue her and take her to a civil court.

Her statement made me sick in my stomach, but also the statement from others that I read in your posting.

I'm terrible sorry, but for me, it's more criminal to threaten someone, just because this person have made some sick statement.

Forgot one important thing.

If she is wrong about her statement then they also should sue her for insult(or what you call it)

Markus

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by mapuc

This may offend you and some others

Last time I read about NZ they had democracy and the right to express themself freely.

So it was her given right to do so AND if some of the involved was offended then they should sue her and take her to a civil court.

Her statement made me sick in my stomach, but also the statement from others that I read in your posting.

I'm terrible sorry, but for me, it's more criminal to threaten someone, just because this person have made some sick statement.

Forgot one important thing.

If she is wrong about her statement then they also should sue her for insult(or what you call it)

Markus

Not offended at all by your comment. Agree some did go to far, threatening her and her family would of been heat of the moment stuff.

Yes the family could take out a grievance court action against her.

[u crank]

Another example of the bad combination of social media and poor judgement. Sumner-Burstyn could have made her views known about that war in any number of ways, without ever bringing Jacinda Bakers' name into the argument. It simply wasn't necessary to make her point.

Now she has put herself and her family in danger and caused unnecessary grief for the soldiers' family. Very poor judgement.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by u crank

Another example of the bad combination of social media and poor judgement. Sumner-Burstyn could have made her views known about that war in any number of ways, without ever bringing Jacinda Bakers' name into the argument. It simply wasn't necessary to make her point.

Now she has put herself and her family in danger and caused unnecessary grief for the soldiers' family. Very poor judgement.

Agreed...no need to personalise her views.

[fred8615]

We are helping America invade another country for their oil. No more than that.

She's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, is she? Afghanistan doesn't have any oil.

She made a dumb comment, some of the responders made criminal threats.
She should be called dumb, if the family of the dead woman want to persue a civil case then good for them.
The idiots who made threats should face the law.
Free speech is not free of consequences.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

She should be called dumb, if the family of the dead woman want to persue a civil case then good for them.
The idiots who made threats should face the law.
Free speech is not free of consequences.

This. Especially the last line.