This is the most difficult column I have written.

Over the last three weekends, rallies in support of seven members of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's Kilo Company, and one Navy corpsman, who have been charged in the murder of an Iraqi man in the village of Hamdania, have grown in size.

Those who have attended these rallies believe in the innocence of the Marines and corpsman. Some in attendance have even gone so far as to say the Marines in question are heroes.

The eight men have been accused of an alleged premeditated abduction and killing of an unarmed Iraqi man in the village of Hamdania, and then placing a shovel and AK-47 at the scene to make it appear that the man was an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.

A preliminary inquiry found that there was sufficient cause to recommend opening a criminal investigation.

While I believe it was unnecessary to shackle the Marines in chains, I do believe we as citizens should demand a thorough hearing of the charges.

I'm an American who is represented by my government and my military, a taxpayer who helps fund this war, and a human being who has a moral responsibility to others whom God has made. As such, I demand answers.

I pray the accusations are not true. I hope that the witnesses are mistaken, or even dishonest. But I do need an investigation. I want to get to the bottom of this. These are serious accusations: conspiracy, larceny, housebreaking, making false statements, obstruction of justice, assault, murder. The military believes that there is sufficient evidence to file charges, and to take the next step in the military justice system, an Article 32 hearing.

The correct actions are being taken. The soldiers accused must go through due process. If they are found innocent the Marines will retain their well-deserved respect. If they are found guilty, they should be held accountable.

Our system of justice is what makes America great. But justice must be kept unprejudiced in order to remain virtuous and true. Otherwise, tainted with self-righteousness and rationalization, justice becomes only justification, a song and dance that forgives wrongdoing with good reason.

To justify bad actions for our peace of mind or to suit our will would make us akin to those we have sworn to defeat. It would make us like terrorists.

In closing, I want to say that my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the accused men. When I think of the angst they are feeling at this moment in time, my stomach aches. I pray for them to have the strength to get through this. I am a mother of a young man, a good man most likely in many ways similar to their own, and I can only imagine what I would be going through.

Elaine Bellucci is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail:elainebellucci@msn.com.