McCoy in “Paradigm”

McCoy

Lindsay Starr didn't deserve to die. She was no longer a soldier. She worked in a supermarket. She was lured into a deserted office and ambushed. And while Nadira Harrington's misfortunes might explain her actions, they can't excuse cold-blooded retribution for the abuse of her brother. If Corporal Starr's conduct at Abu Ghraib exceeded military or international standards, we have, in our civil society, procedures to redress those wrongs, if wrongs they be. Yes, the processes are slow, messy, uneven. But Nadira Harrington had choices. To vote, to sue, to advocate for justice. Instead, she opted for blood feud, and the end product of blood feud is chaos. Our history books are rife with examples of religious zealots of all stripes. Christians, Muslims, Jews twisting their faith's fundamental morality to accommodate a personal or political agenda. Neither rationale justifies killing. The highest moral law in our culture is, "Thou shalt not kill." And where we live, killing in the name of God, country, or brother is still called murder.