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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47540271
Opinions on his charge?
Personally I think its poor form to charge him and potentially the other soldiers involved on Bloody Sunday. I'd rather see those in charge brought to account than him.
It will depend on the evidence, and his actions , he may well have gone rogue ,and not followed due protocols.
Everyone is responsible for one's personal actions.
You cannot go pumping bullets into people indiscriminately, I had 3 months in Norn Iron in the early 80's working at a military base in county down (bandit country) sitting in our comfy armchairs in 2019 doesn't give insight into what it was like over there at the time, each time you go off base checking the car for a bomb, going for a piss in a boozer wondering who you were stood next to, being stopped late at night at road blocks by armed blokes dressed in various uniforms, it was a lairy place to be but as a youngster I would have been 21 at the time, fear didn't worry me then, the sgt's mess we stayed at was mortar bombed on the next job we did there, (I didn't do this particular job) my butty who stood in for me was in the mess playing snooker when it went down, no one was seriously hurt, he shat himself and came home immediately !!!!, the soldiers lived under this fear day in day out, there is IMO no excuse for a solider to open fire without cause, and where a crime has been committed, then it must be dealt with within the law, this board is often forgiving for those who commit whilst being diagnosed mentally ill, I have experience of being with/socialising with soldiers on a day to day basis of not knowing if you will see the next day (them not me). It may not be classified as a mental illness but the stress involved for a two/three year tour of duty for those soldiers back then is/was unimaginable. We don't have a death penalty in this country and thus the most the law could do would be to effectively lock him up for the rest of his life.