Also, Why would we pay reparations and not apologize ? How is that the right thing ?
Yeah. We killed your parents, your kids, your brother and sister....but We're not sorry. Here's a few bucks. Now we feel better.
Yeah we struck numerous civilians in multiple countries with mistaken drone, missile and artillery strikes but we are not terrorists. We're just trying to do the right thing.
Anything can be spun and the whole story is hard to tell if no one has the whole story. Try to view it from the other people's shoes.
AH,
I cannot speak for the US or the president at that time. I won't try and defend the US as to how it acted at the time this incident occurred. I only vaguely remember this incident. I don't know how or why this incident occurred. I can only give you my opinion for what it is worth. So if the US could have given an apology or reparations or an apology with reparations then I think we should have done both. If I had a loved one that was killed by another country and given the choice of an apology or reparations I would take the reparations. Given the relationship and the events that had occurred 20-30 years prior up until the incident and the tensions between the two countries at that time, I am not surprised that we did not apologize. That does not mean it was the right thing to do. WIth that said, for the US to honor the findings of the court which has no jurisdiction over the US (Hell, I am not sure we even recognize it) I believe that paying reparations is tantamount to admitting guilt. I compare it to the choice we have in court when we are accused of a crime. We can plead No Contest which is saying punish me as you like but I won't admit I am guilty. Under our law if you plead No Contest you are considered guilty. So it is accepting guilt with out the verbal admission of such. Considering we have no control over what happened 20 years ago I believe what we did was the right thing. Could we have done better by apologizing as well? Yes, I believe we could have done better. Consider the other option was doing nothing. We did something, right. Maybe not enough but it is what we did.
While innocent citizens are suseptible to being killed during a war, I am not saying it is right or wrong. I respect how you feel about the innocent Iranians being killed. I have had many deep discussions with some of my family that has the same views as you stated here. And while I understand how you feel I don't necessarily agree.
I won't comment on the rest of your comments except that I consider myself a centrist. Even centrists have opinions that can be strong one way or the other. We don't always stay in the center. It doesn't mean we are right or wrong. I think you and the others would be surprised as to how I feel about some of the other subjects that have been discussed here. I agree more often with HVYBARRELS and AEGIS808 and others more than they know. I just choose not to get involved in most of this type of discussion. If it means anything I am an Independent voter. I know that no matter how hard I try I am not going to change the minds of most here. So I don't try. I don't identify with the Republicans or Democrats. I used to be a registered Republican and at times I was a registered Democrat. Actually, I despise both parties and I advocate for a three party system even though I doubt I will see it in my lifetime. I try and view things from every viewpoint I can find on the Internet, on the radio, on TV and in the papers. I then decide for myself what I believe is right and what is wrong. I usually keep these views to myself.