I am a girl that does not read the newspaper, does not really watch the news, and until a couple months ago I did not think that the War effected me at all. My grandmother has a big family and her niece signed up to become part of this War. The family was stunned and could not believe that she would go and make a huge decision without talking to anybody in the family. The only reason that she did not ask anybody, is because she knew how the family felt about the War and the Government. They feel that the War is not needed and the Government needs to start helping the people. Even though that is how they feel, they worry about her every day and hope she comes home soon.
Well my cousin is now in training and will be deployed soon. So, I will have a family member fighting in the war soon, but has it effected me any other way? The war has not effected me directly, but I feel that it has effected the United State as a whole. I feel that the people of the United States have been financially and some people have been personally beat up by this War.
And my answer to the last question, why are we in Iraq? I don't know, or I should say that I don't understand. I understand why this War started, but I don't understand why we are still in Iraq. The Government and some people might see good coming out of this fighting, but I through my eyes I see people dying, people being hurt, money being lost, and people being changed forever.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My Own Little World
As for what seems to be the case with a lot of people, I live in my own little world. It works for me. I have my goals, my hopes, my dreams, and the life that I have grown to know and love here in the United States.
When I look outside of this bubble I seem to be in I don't particularly like what I hear. Sometimes the things I hear inspire me and I want to help in any way I can. However, then my own personal goals get in the way and that willingness to help better the world at large gets pushed aside.
I could not honestly say I feel directly connected to the war in any way. Yes I am aware of the fact that the war impacts everyone's life, however it has not yet affected me in a way that I felt I needed to change the way I am living on a day to day basis. And it wasn't until very recently that I felt the true impact of what it means to be headed over into what I can only describe as a possible death sentence.
As I was sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Florida, I had a little more then an hour of time to kill. My father, my sister, and I decided to get something to eat while we waited. We were seated promptly in the airport's Outback. Not long after being seated, the table next to us was filled with six men all dressed in military uniform. You could immediately pick up on the excitement of the table and my dad, being the outgoing person he is, asked them where they were headed. They all turned to answer but the man sitting closest to our table was dominate when he uttered the words "Iraq."
Picking up on the loss of speech that my father seem to temporarily have, the soldier went on to explain that this was this second time headed back along with four of the other men. The six one, looking to be about 18 years of age, was a rookie. My father then got into conversation with the gentlemen and when my dad asked if the man had kids, the soldiers eyes started to tear with the fact that he was leaving behind his two children age 5 and 8. The only thing my dad could say in response was "I pray to G-d you make it home alive."
The soldier said thank you and that was it. We had finished our meal and left.
Being in my only little world, I am not directly related to anyone fighting in the war. Witnessing that conversation though made the stories and all the things you hear, real. No one can believe everything they hear. But seeing that man in the airport who just left two young kids behind, that was real. The only thing I can say about whether we should be fighting this war or not is that it better be worth it.
An Unstable Iraq
I frequently read CNN’s website, and sometimes my newspaper back home, and the war is on both quite often. I am discouraged when I read that dozens or even hundreds of people have been killed by a suicide bomber or that marines get killed by roadside bombs. I know that it is a war, and that people get killed on both sides, but many Iraqi civilians are dying over there. Also, the stories of death squads roaming neighborhoods and killing people sounded like something unreal. Anytime I read about something taking place in Iraq, it’s often something I would be horrified to have happen in the US. I makes me a little more thankful to live here, in the world’s most powerful country, when I hear that others are being brutalized in such ways.
My family doesn’t have anyone serving in Iraq, and I would be afraid if any of them did. They don’t support the war very much, and my parents think that we’re over there for the wrong reasons. Personally, I think we have to bring the fight to the terrorists, and I think it was the right choice, considering even a ton of dems voted for it. It upsets me, though, that the Iraqi people are killing each other so much. Until safety is brought to that country, I think our troops need to keep fighting over there, so that we can fill the power gap that Saddam Hussein once filled and keep radical religious groups from killing innocent people.
Hero
During finals week, me and the rest of the residents on my dorm’s floor had plenty of free time. We obviously had a great deal of studying to accomplish, but we also had time to relax and spend time together. My roommate had brought some board games from home, so a group of about ten of us played one called “Loaded Questions.” Each player was given a notepad to write their personal answers to random questions that were drawn from a pile of cards. While some of the questions were superficial and humorous, others were thought-provoking and deep. The last question asked during our first round was, “Who comes to mind when you hear the word hero?” We all sat silent for a minute or so while we contemplated our response and recorded our answer. The leader collected everyone’s papers and read the answers aloud. Then, the person whose turn it was had to match the responses to the person who wrote them. As the leader began reading through the papers, my mom, my older brother, a plethora of celebrity icons were among the answers. The last answer she read to us was, “Soldiers.”
I waited for the person to guess which answer was whose. Needless to say, I was surprised when that answer belonged to our friend Marc, a funny slacker who was rarely serious. He then explained to us that one of his cousins was serving in the Middle East. I had never actually met someone who was so close to the war before. In fact, the only time I ever gave the war much thought was when I caught part of the evening news. Lately, however, the news has been more about the election than world news anyway. It is sad to think that many people do not appreciate those that are serving the country unless they actually know someone who is. Without a personal connection to someone in the military, it is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of a soldier’s devotion to their country.
My Connection To Iraq
I am not sure as to why we are posting directly on the war in Iraq. We are fighting a war against radical Islamic terrorist groups. The war against terrorism is not something that is solely an American problem. The entire western civilization is also fighting against this common enemy.
I would like you to go to this article on CNN and read quickly the 10 foiled terrorist attacks.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/whitehouse.plots/index.html
I am not going to say the "War in Iraq" in my posting because that is a poster name for the global war on terrorism. I am impacted tremendously by the global war on terrorism. When I go to the airport and have to wait 45 minutes to get my backpack searched for weapons, cant eat my meal on the air plain with a metal fork and knife, and have increased taxes to fight this global war, I am impacted everyday!
Where do I get my news from?
Well mostly from the radio, Reuters, WSJ, and Fox News.
Most of the news anyways is full of political agenda and opinions, so if you cant sort through the field and find out whats going on, you should not read the news at all.
If you take the news that the Daily Show and those other late night entertainers seriously then, my friend, thats a major problem.
I would like you to go to this article on CNN and read quickly the 10 foiled terrorist attacks.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/whitehouse.plots/index.html
I am not going to say the "War in Iraq" in my posting because that is a poster name for the global war on terrorism. I am impacted tremendously by the global war on terrorism. When I go to the airport and have to wait 45 minutes to get my backpack searched for weapons, cant eat my meal on the air plain with a metal fork and knife, and have increased taxes to fight this global war, I am impacted everyday!
Where do I get my news from?
Well mostly from the radio, Reuters, WSJ, and Fox News.
Most of the news anyways is full of political agenda and opinions, so if you cant sort through the field and find out whats going on, you should not read the news at all.
If you take the news that the Daily Show and those other late night entertainers seriously then, my friend, thats a major problem.
A Message of Hope vs. a Message of Defeat
The recent military action in Basra, an oil rich city in Iraq, has produced much debate about Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s efforts to disarm Sadrist militia. Shi’ite parties and Sadrist militias have been battling for power in Basra for many years. Sadr, the leader of the militia “gang members” is infamous for boycotting elections in 2005 and is a known opposer of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On March 25, 2008, Sadr ordered his militia army to attach Iraqi security forces. After a week long effort by the Iraqi security forces to disarm the militia insurgents, fighting has ceased. While some believe that the city of Basra is fairly calm and stable, others are fearful for future attacks.
There seems to be much difference in opinions about the effectiveness of the military actions, which can be observed by reading two articles, from different sources. The first article that I found from CNN is titled, “Iraqi city appears relatively calm.” The second was from Reuters AlertNet titled “Residents in Iraq’s Basra fear worse violence.” It is interesting to note how much these articles differ from their titles alone. The CNN article gives off a sense of victory, while the Reuter’s article sends a message of defeat. CNN’s article’s main point is now that the violence has ceased, the city is calm, with no threat of violence in the near future. It quotes a police officer saying that “despite the reports of ongoing sporadic clashes, a relative peace is returning to Basra.” It states that businesses are reopening and life is going back to normal. The Reuter’s article is contrastingly different because it does not convey an optimistic message for the city of Basra. Instead, it quotes people saying that Maliki did not achieve anything because the insurgents did not give up their weapons. The author of this article, Aref Mohammed, says that “Iraqis in the southern city of Basra . . . fear worse violence is to come.” Furthermore, he goes on to include the death toll for the operation. 210 fatalities and 600 wounded. The CNN article does not mention these figures, which helps bias their article with a more optimistic tone. Perhaps the biggest discrepancy between the articles is that the CNN article says that “they [referring to militia] lost control and ran away leaving their weapons on the street.” The Reuter’s article quotes someone saying that Maliki did not disarm the insurgents. Although the CNN article is biased, it is a lot more neutral than the Reuters article, because the Reuters article does not mention that some people are optimistic about the operation. The CNN article provides a more unbiased undertone in the end when it mentions that although Basra seems relatively peaceful and stable, some are not convinced and think that more violence is inevitable.
Comparison of these two articles provides a perfect example of how the media can manipulate facts in order to communicate their intended message. Without reading both articles, my opinion would have been automatically made biased based on what I read. Therefore, it is important to always find a second source, in order to be able to make an educated opinion about a particular topic.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02833318.htm - Reuters AlertNet article
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/02/iraq.main/index.html - CNN article
Deployment
My closest cousin decided to enlist in the militray in August of 2007. He always attempts to reassure the family that he will be fine because he is a computer engineer, but I feel that no matter what your profession, at some point you will end up being deployed. It doesn't really matter to me if he was on the front lines, or behind a computer screen relaying information, the danger is the same to me. His reason for enlisting was that he wants to travel, he wants to see the world, but I tried convincing him that now is not the time to pursue those types of ambitions in the military. Right now he is living in Nevada not too far outside of Las Vegas, he enjoys his daily life. He goes to work, makes great money, and hangs out in Vegas and even flies to California on military plans on a weekly basis. In May, that will all come to a halt, there are plans for him to be delpoyed. He mentioned it very non-chalantly to me and I was instantly upset by it. After our conversation, he confessed to me that for the first time in his life, he is actually scared. My stomach sank even deeper. As a family we don't make mention of his rapidly approaching deployment, I don't think any of us have come to terms with it yet.
As for media coverage on the war, I never really felt the need to follow the news coverage. I think that before my cousin enlisted, I didn't feel any connection to the war, I felt like the war was something that had no effect on me. Now that I will have a personal connection, I think it will actually push me even further away from the little bit of news that I would watch on war coverage. I don't think I want to know what is going on in Iraq, the devestation is too great for my mind to comprehend.
The information that I do know about the war often comes from CNN reports. I've never been a fan of news channels such as 10, 6, or 3 depending on where you live. Watching CNN makes me feel more grown-up I guess, I'm not really sure what it is. I just feel like the reports are more accurate or in depth on CNN as opposed to NBC 10's 11 o' clock news. I'm sure CNN has some sort of political bias but I wouldn't be able to point it out because I'm honestly not big on politics.
As for media coverage on the war, I never really felt the need to follow the news coverage. I think that before my cousin enlisted, I didn't feel any connection to the war, I felt like the war was something that had no effect on me. Now that I will have a personal connection, I think it will actually push me even further away from the little bit of news that I would watch on war coverage. I don't think I want to know what is going on in Iraq, the devestation is too great for my mind to comprehend.
The information that I do know about the war often comes from CNN reports. I've never been a fan of news channels such as 10, 6, or 3 depending on where you live. Watching CNN makes me feel more grown-up I guess, I'm not really sure what it is. I just feel like the reports are more accurate or in depth on CNN as opposed to NBC 10's 11 o' clock news. I'm sure CNN has some sort of political bias but I wouldn't be able to point it out because I'm honestly not big on politics.
Ten-thousand different directions...
After reading the previous posts, my brain went off in about ten thousand different directions-- I couldn't pick just one thing to write about. Then I thought of what we initially are supposed to be talking about in these posts, the impact of the Iraq War on myself and my immediate family.
Honestly, previous to reading this blog I have never really contemplated the effects of the Iraq War; but this topic made me think of the current presidential election.
While on break, I had the pleasure of spending some time with my grandparents. While we were talking, the 2008 election came up; my sister went off on Obama this and that, while I pointed out that I feel that a Democrat will be elected into office. After I made that point, my grandfather pointed something else out-- he said that even though a majority of Americans want to get out of Iraq, we will probably not pull out. He also said that this country does not need another Vietnam on its hands; I agree with him. When we pull out of Iraq, I do not want to have another Vietnam; I feel that what happened there is unfortunate.
But back to the initial topic... overall, I really do not know how the Iraq War has impacted myself and my immediate family. None of my family members serve in the military, so we do not have the close tie that others have. I will admit, I do not watch the news nor read a newspaper. I feel that since Americans have these rights, to be able to freely do what they want; I am doing a disservice to my country, but that the same time, things seem to be getting along quite ok.
Honestly, previous to reading this blog I have never really contemplated the effects of the Iraq War; but this topic made me think of the current presidential election.
While on break, I had the pleasure of spending some time with my grandparents. While we were talking, the 2008 election came up; my sister went off on Obama this and that, while I pointed out that I feel that a Democrat will be elected into office. After I made that point, my grandfather pointed something else out-- he said that even though a majority of Americans want to get out of Iraq, we will probably not pull out. He also said that this country does not need another Vietnam on its hands; I agree with him. When we pull out of Iraq, I do not want to have another Vietnam; I feel that what happened there is unfortunate.
But back to the initial topic... overall, I really do not know how the Iraq War has impacted myself and my immediate family. None of my family members serve in the military, so we do not have the close tie that others have. I will admit, I do not watch the news nor read a newspaper. I feel that since Americans have these rights, to be able to freely do what they want; I am doing a disservice to my country, but that the same time, things seem to be getting along quite ok.
IRAQ WAR
As the news channels on TV talk about the war in Iraq at least once a day, I think to myself what are we still doing there? I understand that to go overthrow the government, form a new government and bring peace to a nation is easier said than done. I also understand that the country is not yet completely stable in any way, but doesn't it just seem a little fishy? Many extremists like to poke and prod at the Bush administration, which has not done the best job, and they say we are more or less in Iraq for the oil. Yet clearly many people just don't believe that and feel the real reason is to help a suffering nation and to stomp out a tyrant. Yet as the news blares on I can't stop thinking about how deep this Iraq War thing goes. There are so many things that our government and our lavish lives hides us from, the harsh reality that the rest of the world seems to hate us for not knowing. I feel that we are in Iraq for Oil and maybe other things but to cover up these dirty secrets we have done a good deed by helping a nation and dethroning a tyrant. I am afraid that the more stupid "American" things we try to do in the world the more problems we cause for ourselves. I really think that instead of being overseas we should put all that money and man power to do good in our country because if one really starts to look around "America" is not all it’s cracked up to be. I feel we could do the same amount of helping with a lot less war and violence. I feel that families are sick of war and have sons and daughters dying. American is done with war. We live in the Americas where we are surrounded by water, do we need to still need to be fighting wars overseas, as a first world and somewhat advanced nation with no real enemies around us, it seems like a illogical idea to be at war.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Side Note to My Original Post
This evening I was at home for dinner and my English class came up in conversation. I was telling my parents that this term would be about staying current and looking into issues involving the war. My parents being from the generation that experienced Vietnam and had parents who lived during WWII, they had some interesting thoughts on Iraq.
My father says, "I will always support my troops, I could never do what people did to the troops when they returned from Vietnam. Troops were spat on, cursed at, and completely isolated. Without the support of civilians, troops will have no incentive to fight for the freedom of those who could care less." My parents talked how our country was united during WWII, and how there has been a very apparent, steady decline in the support and patriotism of our country. Based on this Blog alone, I can see how the personal feeling of purpose whether one is a soldier or a civilian, is lacking. While I'm basing this opinion on 16 blogs, I can't imagine the public and particularly the youth of America to be much different.
Delving a bit more into the issue I discussed in my earlier blog about political media of the war, I see some attempts to bring the public together. But the questions I can't get out of my head are "Why has it taken over five years for a politician to try and bring our country together?" "Why do people not care?" "What made the country unite for WWII, but not for Vietnam, or now in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
I just wonder who or what could motivate the public and bring back patriotism and the support of the troops.
My father says, "I will always support my troops, I could never do what people did to the troops when they returned from Vietnam. Troops were spat on, cursed at, and completely isolated. Without the support of civilians, troops will have no incentive to fight for the freedom of those who could care less." My parents talked how our country was united during WWII, and how there has been a very apparent, steady decline in the support and patriotism of our country. Based on this Blog alone, I can see how the personal feeling of purpose whether one is a soldier or a civilian, is lacking. While I'm basing this opinion on 16 blogs, I can't imagine the public and particularly the youth of America to be much different.
Delving a bit more into the issue I discussed in my earlier blog about political media of the war, I see some attempts to bring the public together. But the questions I can't get out of my head are "Why has it taken over five years for a politician to try and bring our country together?" "Why do people not care?" "What made the country unite for WWII, but not for Vietnam, or now in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
I just wonder who or what could motivate the public and bring back patriotism and the support of the troops.
Far Away from the Harsh Realities of War
I wish I could write that I am more knowledgeable about the war in Iraq, but in all honesty, I feel very distant from the conflict. I live in the rural countryside of New Jersey, an environment far different from the desert of Iraq and the harsh realities that the soldiers must face over there. My family does not have any direct connection to war and I don’t know anyone personally who is fighting.
Any news I read about the war is on the front page of The Star Ledger, our newspaper back home, or the headlines of CNN. Sadly it seems, the media considers the scandals of entertainment artists more important than an event as huge as a war. Articles on Britney Spears seem to be much more prevalent than articles on Iraq war veterans and the day-to-day combat in the Middle East. Sometimes I actually forget we’re in the midst of a real war because it isn’t really “advertised.” News reports don’t display a sense of urgency regarding the conflict and the only times I hear about it are when a large number of American soldiers are killed in a short period of time or when the presidential candidates have their debates on the future of Iraq. I think the newspapers do censor a lot of the gory details of the war and are biased in what information they print. I sometimes wonder how much the government influences the media when printing stories about Iraq. If all of the news and information was out on the table, the government may appear even more unfavorable than they do now.
I saw the movie Stop Loss last weekend and it was the first movie I had seen relating to the Iraq war. I was completely unaware of the term stop-loss before seeing the movie. Stop-Loss is a policy used by the U.S. Army to keep soldiers in the military after their terms have ended. While every stop-lossed soldier’s story is different, I think that many soldiers probably have the same struggles and mental impacts of the war that the main character had in the movie. The fact that the movie was made by MTV made me a little weary of how accurate the movie was going to be, but after I saw the film I did some research on “stop-lossing” and realized that it wasn’t as exaggerated as I thought it might have been. It makes me angry to think that soldiers are losing their own freedoms to try and gain freedoms for a country that may or may not want the freedom the U.S. is forcefully trying to give them. A soldier may have dutifully served for several tours over to Iraq, but when his contract is over, the military tells him/her they have to go back, they have no choice.
It frustrates me because I feel helpless with this war. Whether I am informed or not, the future of the war is up to the government. The war doesn’t have that big of an effect on me or my family, but maybe it will soon. Our economy is struggling and we still need to finance the war. Maybe one day we will have a draft. I think the upcoming presidential election will determine how much we are impacted by the war in the future.
Any news I read about the war is on the front page of The Star Ledger, our newspaper back home, or the headlines of CNN. Sadly it seems, the media considers the scandals of entertainment artists more important than an event as huge as a war. Articles on Britney Spears seem to be much more prevalent than articles on Iraq war veterans and the day-to-day combat in the Middle East. Sometimes I actually forget we’re in the midst of a real war because it isn’t really “advertised.” News reports don’t display a sense of urgency regarding the conflict and the only times I hear about it are when a large number of American soldiers are killed in a short period of time or when the presidential candidates have their debates on the future of Iraq. I think the newspapers do censor a lot of the gory details of the war and are biased in what information they print. I sometimes wonder how much the government influences the media when printing stories about Iraq. If all of the news and information was out on the table, the government may appear even more unfavorable than they do now.
I saw the movie Stop Loss last weekend and it was the first movie I had seen relating to the Iraq war. I was completely unaware of the term stop-loss before seeing the movie. Stop-Loss is a policy used by the U.S. Army to keep soldiers in the military after their terms have ended. While every stop-lossed soldier’s story is different, I think that many soldiers probably have the same struggles and mental impacts of the war that the main character had in the movie. The fact that the movie was made by MTV made me a little weary of how accurate the movie was going to be, but after I saw the film I did some research on “stop-lossing” and realized that it wasn’t as exaggerated as I thought it might have been. It makes me angry to think that soldiers are losing their own freedoms to try and gain freedoms for a country that may or may not want the freedom the U.S. is forcefully trying to give them. A soldier may have dutifully served for several tours over to Iraq, but when his contract is over, the military tells him/her they have to go back, they have no choice.
It frustrates me because I feel helpless with this war. Whether I am informed or not, the future of the war is up to the government. The war doesn’t have that big of an effect on me or my family, but maybe it will soon. Our economy is struggling and we still need to finance the war. Maybe one day we will have a draft. I think the upcoming presidential election will determine how much we are impacted by the war in the future.
What If...
What if we just started a revolution? I feel like, as powerless as the people may feel they are...it is just the opposite. I believe we are fully capable of demanding that new ideas, and new tactics be administered over in Iraq. We have nothing to lose, because whatever it is that we are doing over there at this present moment is only resulting in a stalemate (or so it would appear that way).
I feel like we entered the war too soon, and that was a costly mistake (both on lives and the economy). But people learn from their mistakes right? People do...but does the government?
Like I said, I think it's time for a revolution.
I feel like we entered the war too soon, and that was a costly mistake (both on lives and the economy). But people learn from their mistakes right? People do...but does the government?
Like I said, I think it's time for a revolution.
Complications on war in Iraq
Things have got really tense since the Iraq war. Even when I watch the news, people present the Iraq news in perspective of their own opinion. I personally think that people need to be little bit more optimistic. Obviously, economically we have been suffering a setback. That doesn't necessarily mean that the war in Iraq is bad. I personally think that our main reason for war in Iraq is to catch the terrorists that are masterminding the attacks all around the world. We certainly don't want another 9/11.
How the War in Iraq Affects Me
The War in Iraq is already into its sixth year. In most people’s opinions, the war seems to have been dragging on for much longer than that. Although I do not personally know anyone closely related to me in the war, thousands are troops are being dramatically affected.
As we turn on the news, we constantly hear about more troops being killed. Sometime we will hear “good news”, such as the number of deaths in Iraq is decreasing. Sometimes I read articles from news sources online such as CNN or occasionally watch the Daily Show. As expected, CNN more serious approach to the subject. Exactly as I stated earlier, news sources such as CNN will give statistics commonly about deaths. After reading the article “Troubled Homecoming,” my concern for the troops has dramatically increased. This article introduced another dimension that is not commonly shown by news sources. Just because we hear that more troops are being sent home, does not necessarily mean that the troops are safe, healthy, and mentally stable. In fact, the article states that many of the troops are not mentally stable. An event as dramatic as a war can have drastic changes on someone’s life.
Especially as this year’s presidential race is heating up, we have hearing great amount of criticism of the war in Iraq. I believe that people could criticize the war, but should as keep in mind that the troops need our support. Without the support of the American people, American troops may feel as if they are not even fighting for a reason. In my opinion, this next presidential election will dramaticly affect the future of young Americans.
As we turn on the news, we constantly hear about more troops being killed. Sometime we will hear “good news”, such as the number of deaths in Iraq is decreasing. Sometimes I read articles from news sources online such as CNN or occasionally watch the Daily Show. As expected, CNN more serious approach to the subject. Exactly as I stated earlier, news sources such as CNN will give statistics commonly about deaths. After reading the article “Troubled Homecoming,” my concern for the troops has dramatically increased. This article introduced another dimension that is not commonly shown by news sources. Just because we hear that more troops are being sent home, does not necessarily mean that the troops are safe, healthy, and mentally stable. In fact, the article states that many of the troops are not mentally stable. An event as dramatic as a war can have drastic changes on someone’s life.
Especially as this year’s presidential race is heating up, we have hearing great amount of criticism of the war in Iraq. I believe that people could criticize the war, but should as keep in mind that the troops need our support. Without the support of the American people, American troops may feel as if they are not even fighting for a reason. In my opinion, this next presidential election will dramaticly affect the future of young Americans.
6000 miles close to home
As the Iraq war started I did not give much thought as to how it would affect me at home. I was pretty young, only a freshmen in high school. I knew enough to think about implications for the country and for the military in general but I had not the foggiest idea of how it would directly affect my life. It has affected my friendships, my family, and my own personal view of the world.
My friends and I have had many arguments on the morality of the war and such but that is not what really drove us was the issue of enlistment. Two of my very close friends joined the marine corps directly out of high school. I had seen some people at one of my other friend's older brother's work. These people had been two Iraq with the corps. One was not that bad clearly messed up a bit by the things he had seen, but the other was a wreck. He had been a sniper and could not deal with the morality of what he did. He smoked six packs of cigarettes a day just because he wanted to die. He was not drunk on the job but there were clear signs that he had been drinking heavily. He was a pathetic excuse for a person. He was so disturbed by what had occurred he became even worse than the marlboro marine. It deeply concerned me that there was a possibility of one of them could even become half as bad as him nagged at me constantly. Now, both of them are currently deployed. One is front line infantry and the other is a helicopter mechanic. The only thing I can do for them now is write them letters just to give them a sense of something from home.
Back in the beginning of the war one of my cousins was in the marine corp when the war started. His possible deployment was a hot button issue within my family. Some were completely against him going, others said he signed up and it was his duty. Personally I was foolhardy then and thought it was the latter without question. Know I can scarcely imagine the terrible truth of war, but I have seen some terrible things and being able to thing of things worse than that on a massive scale, it just befuddles me. Most people are not capable of handling such things. The few who are are rarely on the front lines. Those people tend to be special forces. I know one guy who is a Navy SEAL. He is the only person I have ever met who I think has a killer instinct.
The war has also affected my view of the world. Since having seen all of the excuses and uncertanties of why we are in Iraq, I have become a lot more cynical. I have since stopped placing my trust in people, especially the government. I have become a person who questions everything I'm told for the sake of making sure I'm not being duped. This has caused me to rethink my political views, my social views, and even my religion. Instead of taking things on faith alone, I now think about and sometimes even research any topic I am told about without being taught with evidence. It has caused me to feel much more isolated from those around me, but I would rather feel alone than know I'm being duped. Being lied to and knowing I'm being lied to is to not be free.
All of these things have come out of my constantly updating views and perceptions of the war, its military, and political implications. This war has a home front that affects every one of us, not in a traditional sense, but it has one none the less.
My friends and I have had many arguments on the morality of the war and such but that is not what really drove us was the issue of enlistment. Two of my very close friends joined the marine corps directly out of high school. I had seen some people at one of my other friend's older brother's work. These people had been two Iraq with the corps. One was not that bad clearly messed up a bit by the things he had seen, but the other was a wreck. He had been a sniper and could not deal with the morality of what he did. He smoked six packs of cigarettes a day just because he wanted to die. He was not drunk on the job but there were clear signs that he had been drinking heavily. He was a pathetic excuse for a person. He was so disturbed by what had occurred he became even worse than the marlboro marine. It deeply concerned me that there was a possibility of one of them could even become half as bad as him nagged at me constantly. Now, both of them are currently deployed. One is front line infantry and the other is a helicopter mechanic. The only thing I can do for them now is write them letters just to give them a sense of something from home.
Back in the beginning of the war one of my cousins was in the marine corp when the war started. His possible deployment was a hot button issue within my family. Some were completely against him going, others said he signed up and it was his duty. Personally I was foolhardy then and thought it was the latter without question. Know I can scarcely imagine the terrible truth of war, but I have seen some terrible things and being able to thing of things worse than that on a massive scale, it just befuddles me. Most people are not capable of handling such things. The few who are are rarely on the front lines. Those people tend to be special forces. I know one guy who is a Navy SEAL. He is the only person I have ever met who I think has a killer instinct.
The war has also affected my view of the world. Since having seen all of the excuses and uncertanties of why we are in Iraq, I have become a lot more cynical. I have since stopped placing my trust in people, especially the government. I have become a person who questions everything I'm told for the sake of making sure I'm not being duped. This has caused me to rethink my political views, my social views, and even my religion. Instead of taking things on faith alone, I now think about and sometimes even research any topic I am told about without being taught with evidence. It has caused me to feel much more isolated from those around me, but I would rather feel alone than know I'm being duped. Being lied to and knowing I'm being lied to is to not be free.
All of these things have come out of my constantly updating views and perceptions of the war, its military, and political implications. This war has a home front that affects every one of us, not in a traditional sense, but it has one none the less.
The war is relative to all
It wasn’t until college that my life was really exposed to politics and the actuality of the war in Iraq. Growing up in a Connecticut suburb, few, if any, people were soldiers in the war. In my high school, I know of three people that are training or fighting in the war – that’s it. And sadly, there were much more “important” things (events, fundraisers for the football team, galas, etc) for the families at home to be worrying about. But after reading The Troubled Homecoming Of The Marlboro Marine, it has become apparent how much I am truly missing out on.
My grandfather fought in World War II and received two purple hearts. As a child and to this day, I know what his commitment meant to our country, but am still unsure of what really goes on during a war. Being the eldest daughter in my household, my father did not really have to worry about me becoming a soldier, but there was always a little bit of fear for my brother, who is now 17 years old, in the case that the draft becomes reinstated. The horrors that Blake Miller endured during and after his employment are terrifying. I would never wish upon any person to have to live their life so poorly. This article has shed light on a reality that many of us take for granted – our lives. When watching the news I feel as if I am only getting tidbits of what is currently happening – usually a few deaths and some troops being deployed. No one is ever exposed to the reality and the truth behind the war.
I feel it is crazy to think how far the war in Iraq has evolved. In the beginning it was about taking down Osama bin Laden. Now it is more to prove a point about politics and use America as a prime example of a well-run country. President Bush, unfortunately, is leaving behind a mess for the next president to have to clean up. As all the candidates say they are going to begin taking the troops out and bring them home, there is a part of me that feels this war will never end. Our lives will always be plagued by the events surrounding Iraq – the take down of Hussein and the many martyr’s years from now who honor the ways of Al Queda and other terrorist groups.
In the Rolling Stone article I was moved when Eliscu stated, “The best way to understand the photo, Rieckhoff suggests, is to put it next to a picture of Miller now. ‘That's a fair way of understanding that war is not what just happens over there — that when we come home, there is a whole other fight we have to deal with. That's the part of the fight when nobody takes pictures, and it's hard to get people's attention, and it's hard to get resources.’”. This war and every other war have left behind footprints that are ever pressed into our daily lives. Although it is hard for me to say I am directly involved or impacted by the war, the entire stability of the world is an affect of the events that are taking place. Whether a person I know becomes a soldier or a troop of soldiers come back home, it is all relative. Every person is affected by the war whether they like it or not.
My grandfather fought in World War II and received two purple hearts. As a child and to this day, I know what his commitment meant to our country, but am still unsure of what really goes on during a war. Being the eldest daughter in my household, my father did not really have to worry about me becoming a soldier, but there was always a little bit of fear for my brother, who is now 17 years old, in the case that the draft becomes reinstated. The horrors that Blake Miller endured during and after his employment are terrifying. I would never wish upon any person to have to live their life so poorly. This article has shed light on a reality that many of us take for granted – our lives. When watching the news I feel as if I am only getting tidbits of what is currently happening – usually a few deaths and some troops being deployed. No one is ever exposed to the reality and the truth behind the war.
I feel it is crazy to think how far the war in Iraq has evolved. In the beginning it was about taking down Osama bin Laden. Now it is more to prove a point about politics and use America as a prime example of a well-run country. President Bush, unfortunately, is leaving behind a mess for the next president to have to clean up. As all the candidates say they are going to begin taking the troops out and bring them home, there is a part of me that feels this war will never end. Our lives will always be plagued by the events surrounding Iraq – the take down of Hussein and the many martyr’s years from now who honor the ways of Al Queda and other terrorist groups.
In the Rolling Stone article I was moved when Eliscu stated, “The best way to understand the photo, Rieckhoff suggests, is to put it next to a picture of Miller now. ‘That's a fair way of understanding that war is not what just happens over there — that when we come home, there is a whole other fight we have to deal with. That's the part of the fight when nobody takes pictures, and it's hard to get people's attention, and it's hard to get resources.’”. This war and every other war have left behind footprints that are ever pressed into our daily lives. Although it is hard for me to say I am directly involved or impacted by the war, the entire stability of the world is an affect of the events that are taking place. Whether a person I know becomes a soldier or a troop of soldiers come back home, it is all relative. Every person is affected by the war whether they like it or not.
Iraq's Impact on my View of Politics
Waking up in a comfortable bed with the sun shining, birds chirping, and the view of my neighbors lounging by the pool in their backyard, I must admit that I feel as distant from the war as I do from Mars. The idea that hundreds of thousands of Americans are constantly fighting in
The impact of the war on my life can not be seen in wounds or tears, but in the thoughts that I have of current politics. The taxes going towards the war are also affecting me financially, but at this point in my life, my changed views of the world and politics greatly outnumber taxes. This war has made me question what the news say and not blankly believe everything like I used to when I was younger because now I understand that there is much information that the government chooses not to inform us about. It has also made me understand that there are flaws in even the greatest governments, and that sometimes the significances of actions can not be seen immediately.
Effects on my Immediate Family
Well, I thought what were really supposed to post here was why I thought America was involved with Iraq. Turns out, that ain't the case. Personally, the War in Iraq has no direct effect on any members of my immediate family, but a distant cousin of mine was actually on a tour there, and a good family friend is currently serving his second tour in Iraq right now, and he's due home this August. Both of my parents aren't necessarily supporters of the war in Iraq, but they, like many others, are in full support of the American soldiers there. I have younger sisters and a younger brother that are sophomores and a freshman in high school respectively, and they really couldn't give a two pennied damn about the war, they just watch MTV all day.
I think that the media coverage makes everything about this war way worse than it really is. These channels like MSNBC and CNN broadcast news 24/7, and they need something to fill up all that time. To do so, they bring on all sorts of bigwigs and other people who think they know what they are talking about to talk about U.S. involvment in Iraq. From what I watch, everyone pretty much says the same thing. I try to stay involved, but watching too much of these news channels makes me what to take a header off of a skyscraper, because yes, they are all biased. I lean more toward the republican side, and all of these news channels are staunch liberals. They turn every move by the current administration into something negative when no one really wants a war, but sometimes sh*t happens.
The worst is the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Don't get me wrong, they say some pretty funny stuff on these shows, but just because it's on Comedy Central does not mean it's all credible. Also, these shows are the only source of political information that kids my age get. The problem is, these shows are supposed to be FUNNY, when in reality, there's really nothing funny about any of it. Like I said before, I try to keep up with the news but most of it just makes me sick to my stomach.
I think that the media coverage makes everything about this war way worse than it really is. These channels like MSNBC and CNN broadcast news 24/7, and they need something to fill up all that time. To do so, they bring on all sorts of bigwigs and other people who think they know what they are talking about to talk about U.S. involvment in Iraq. From what I watch, everyone pretty much says the same thing. I try to stay involved, but watching too much of these news channels makes me what to take a header off of a skyscraper, because yes, they are all biased. I lean more toward the republican side, and all of these news channels are staunch liberals. They turn every move by the current administration into something negative when no one really wants a war, but sometimes sh*t happens.
The worst is the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Don't get me wrong, they say some pretty funny stuff on these shows, but just because it's on Comedy Central does not mean it's all credible. Also, these shows are the only source of political information that kids my age get. The problem is, these shows are supposed to be FUNNY, when in reality, there's really nothing funny about any of it. Like I said before, I try to keep up with the news but most of it just makes me sick to my stomach.
Connected By a Thin Wire?
I had to ask myself: How am I connected to this war? I have no family members that are fighting overseas. Nor do I have any friends or friends who have their relatives fighting overseas in this mess of a war of ours. So how could I possibly be connected to this war?
As thin as the connection may be, on the lines of money, I feel that it a very important connection. Although I’m not working right now, when I had a job in the summer, a percentage was taken out of my paycheck to go towards some sort of funding for the war. Whether it was directly or indirectly funding the war, the money was taken out of my earnings.
And each and every one of us helps fund the war with the money that we spend on a day-to-day basis. All companies alike have obligations to give small portions of their earnings to the government. (I guess this money would be referred to as “taxes”). As small as the percentage may be, it is still going towards the one cause that is America’s most controversial issue – the war.
I’m not so concerned with the progress of war, and the whole political side of it. I feel that there is no point in trying to set up democracies in other countries. Look at our history in the past. Countries have rebelled against the ideals of democracy, and terrorist organizations formed. And even in the United States, there are still terrorist groups/gangs (and last time I checked, our government is democratic).
I figure since I can’t control the progress of war, then I will check on the economic status of our country. I read the Philadelphia Inquirer daily, and look at BusinessWeek to see how our economy is doing. I feel it’s important to know and understand something that we can all control – our money. But I do keep up with the politics, thanks to John Stewart. He is the only person I will listen to because his show pokes fun at politics, all while informing his audience of what is going on with the war.
As thin as the connection may be, on the lines of money, I feel that it a very important connection. Although I’m not working right now, when I had a job in the summer, a percentage was taken out of my paycheck to go towards some sort of funding for the war. Whether it was directly or indirectly funding the war, the money was taken out of my earnings.
And each and every one of us helps fund the war with the money that we spend on a day-to-day basis. All companies alike have obligations to give small portions of their earnings to the government. (I guess this money would be referred to as “taxes”). As small as the percentage may be, it is still going towards the one cause that is America’s most controversial issue – the war.
I’m not so concerned with the progress of war, and the whole political side of it. I feel that there is no point in trying to set up democracies in other countries. Look at our history in the past. Countries have rebelled against the ideals of democracy, and terrorist organizations formed. And even in the United States, there are still terrorist groups/gangs (and last time I checked, our government is democratic).
I figure since I can’t control the progress of war, then I will check on the economic status of our country. I read the Philadelphia Inquirer daily, and look at BusinessWeek to see how our economy is doing. I feel it’s important to know and understand something that we can all control – our money. But I do keep up with the politics, thanks to John Stewart. He is the only person I will listen to because his show pokes fun at politics, all while informing his audience of what is going on with the war.
Why we're in Iraq
Well, the reason that the United States has armed forces in Iraq is an obvious one. It is to preserve freedom in tumultuous parts of the world and to eliminate threats that would jeopardize the strength of our nation. Whether or not Iraq is a tumultuous land or even a threat to America is what is debatable. In my opinion, I think that we should definitely have sent troops to Iraq to keep an eye on the goings on there, but as of now I think that our government is going about the whole operation in the wrong way. At the same time, however, we can't just pull out because if Iraq doesn't get a stable government, then our country could face more problems in the future. I'm no political scientist or anything, and this is a very complex issue, but from a "young g's" perspective, America as a country still has to preserve its image as the most powerful country in the world. If not, we're going to look vulnerable and the who knows what would happen. I love America and I love living in it, and if we've never thrown in the towel before (Nam doesn't count), then why start now? Maybe pulling some, but not all troops out is the answer, but like I said before, I'm no expert. What do I know?
Class Notes...
We just finished the first class of the term and I wanted to capture some thoughts...
I will be posting a voiceover (Flash) PowerPoint version of today's lecture in Bb Vista by Wednesday night, and will include some of the points I make here in greater detail.
Basically, we're looking for the footprints in the sand left by our ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'll continue to stress that this is not a witch hunt to slam the government or US policies. Part of my reason for approaching the class in this manner is to help clarify my own thoughts and opinions. So think of them as footprints in the sand, or the fog on the mirror, or the echoes down the hall...
The consensus from the class is that there has been little impact on our culture from Iraq. For general readers, it would help to clarify our general demographics: college students (and one prof) in the spring of 2008, living in Philadelphia. So, East coast, urban, privileged (to the extent of being able to teach for a living and to go to school, even if that requires massive loans and sacrifice), and predominantly from the East coast.
I had prepared some slides showing Star Wars and an image of Godzilla. Those films can be used to see their respective times through very heavy-handed metaphor. In the 1970s, mutually assured destruction and a long-fought cold war with the Soviets made Star Wars (arguably) an easy sell. Of course Americans identified with the rag-tag rebels battling the pure evil ("The Evil Empire") that spawned the Death Star, capable of destroying entire planets.
We seemed to know less about Godzilla, although that might be because for 18 year olds today, the Godzilla films blur together. Didn't he fight all kinds of other monsters? Yes. Didn't Mathew Broderick make a crappy big-budget version? Yes.
But the original (as I found out, not really the original...) is a subversive take on the US use of atomic bombs on Japan. Godzilla is a sea monster made gigantic by exposure to Strontium 90 and other isotopes...He then devastates Tokyo on a regular basis. The film was made 9 years after the atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
So with Star Wars and Godzilla as a bit of a creative guide, we went looking for contemporary connections.
The class seemed unanimous that politics and music don't mix...that bands trying to get political are just doing it to gain publicity. I volunteered that country music seems to be addressing the war more directly than hip hop and rock.
Kyle made an excellent connection between the Saw movies and our collective wrestling with torture (Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo). I did a (very) little checking...I didn't know there was a short film in 2003, before the 2004 feature-length film. The Abu Ghraib scandal broke in - 2004.
I wouldn't argue that Saw was a conscious response to our debate over torture, but you might easily make a case for its popularity (anyone for Saw V?) being a reflection of our moral debate over torture.
We took a look at the top grossing films of 2007 - all throwbacks to a pre-9/11, pre-Iraq world: Spiderman, Transformers, Shrek...
Ratatouille also came up - somewhat randomly, but I seized on it as a potential example. What effect might Iraq have on our consumption of animated films? Is Ratatouille a sort of detente with France (remember when we were supposed to boycott French Fries?)? Is the focus on cooking a version of 'nesting' - of our aversion to travel after 9/11, our focus on the home, our obsession with home prices? Maybe that's stretching it, and maybe it's just a great movie (Flushed Away wasn't as big of a success...even with Aardman Entertainment's golden touch)...or maybe there is more.
It was a great start to our investigation. I don't have any answers concerning the effect of our 5 years in Iraq (and 6.5 in Afghanistan), but I feel that we have to be seriously affected. We can't have 150,000 of our citizens over there, billions of our tax dollars, thousands of deaths and injuries and have zero effect. It's impossible. When we get to Melville's portrayal of the lawyer in "Bartleby the Scrivener" perhaps we will find some answers.
I will be posting a voiceover (Flash) PowerPoint version of today's lecture in Bb Vista by Wednesday night, and will include some of the points I make here in greater detail.
Basically, we're looking for the footprints in the sand left by our ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'll continue to stress that this is not a witch hunt to slam the government or US policies. Part of my reason for approaching the class in this manner is to help clarify my own thoughts and opinions. So think of them as footprints in the sand, or the fog on the mirror, or the echoes down the hall...
The consensus from the class is that there has been little impact on our culture from Iraq. For general readers, it would help to clarify our general demographics: college students (and one prof) in the spring of 2008, living in Philadelphia. So, East coast, urban, privileged (to the extent of being able to teach for a living and to go to school, even if that requires massive loans and sacrifice), and predominantly from the East coast.
I had prepared some slides showing Star Wars and an image of Godzilla. Those films can be used to see their respective times through very heavy-handed metaphor. In the 1970s, mutually assured destruction and a long-fought cold war with the Soviets made Star Wars (arguably) an easy sell. Of course Americans identified with the rag-tag rebels battling the pure evil ("The Evil Empire") that spawned the Death Star, capable of destroying entire planets.
We seemed to know less about Godzilla, although that might be because for 18 year olds today, the Godzilla films blur together. Didn't he fight all kinds of other monsters? Yes. Didn't Mathew Broderick make a crappy big-budget version? Yes.
But the original (as I found out, not really the original...) is a subversive take on the US use of atomic bombs on Japan. Godzilla is a sea monster made gigantic by exposure to Strontium 90 and other isotopes...He then devastates Tokyo on a regular basis. The film was made 9 years after the atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
So with Star Wars and Godzilla as a bit of a creative guide, we went looking for contemporary connections.
The class seemed unanimous that politics and music don't mix...that bands trying to get political are just doing it to gain publicity. I volunteered that country music seems to be addressing the war more directly than hip hop and rock.
Kyle made an excellent connection between the Saw movies and our collective wrestling with torture (Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo). I did a (very) little checking...I didn't know there was a short film in 2003, before the 2004 feature-length film. The Abu Ghraib scandal broke in - 2004.
I wouldn't argue that Saw was a conscious response to our debate over torture, but you might easily make a case for its popularity (anyone for Saw V?) being a reflection of our moral debate over torture.
We took a look at the top grossing films of 2007 - all throwbacks to a pre-9/11, pre-Iraq world: Spiderman, Transformers, Shrek...
Ratatouille also came up - somewhat randomly, but I seized on it as a potential example. What effect might Iraq have on our consumption of animated films? Is Ratatouille a sort of detente with France (remember when we were supposed to boycott French Fries?)? Is the focus on cooking a version of 'nesting' - of our aversion to travel after 9/11, our focus on the home, our obsession with home prices? Maybe that's stretching it, and maybe it's just a great movie (Flushed Away wasn't as big of a success...even with Aardman Entertainment's golden touch)...or maybe there is more.
It was a great start to our investigation. I don't have any answers concerning the effect of our 5 years in Iraq (and 6.5 in Afghanistan), but I feel that we have to be seriously affected. We can't have 150,000 of our citizens over there, billions of our tax dollars, thousands of deaths and injuries and have zero effect. It's impossible. When we get to Melville's portrayal of the lawyer in "Bartleby the Scrivener" perhaps we will find some answers.
Monday, March 31, 2008
What About the Families?
To be perfectly honest, I have not gone out of my way to learn more about what is going on over in Iraq and Afghanistan. It not a matter of disregard for my country, it’s a matter of not being able to change the fact that we’re over there.
Since the presidential campaign dominates the current media outlets, the candidates opinions are the basis of my own personal opinions on the media of the war. Democrats want out, Republicans want to stay. I find the media coverage specifically highlighting the politicians is dry and boring. I have absolutely no interest in sitting in front of the TV listening to a 30 minute speech about why or why not we should be in Iraq and Afghanistan. I understand that there are not many alternatives, but a schmoozing speech with eloquent words and phrases is not necessary. I would love to watch a five-minute talk where a candidate says “I want this, because of this, and I think this should happen, and this is why.” Quick, simple, and to the point. But that’s not what American politics are like today. Democrats and Republicans automatically have a bias; whether our current candidates hold true to the traditional labels, another debate is in order. Bottom line is that the media coverage on either side of the political spectrum will definitely have bias. Another aspect to political side of the media is it fails to delve into the personal and human aspect to war. These politicians give extravagant and promising speeches about pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan or pulling through to victory, but they leave out the families who have been and still are being affected.
I have had one family member deployed to Iraq; my uncle is a marine. He was on reserve and was called into duty. It was a long eight months when he was over there, but even then I didn’t pay attention to the news or the reports of what was happening over there. All I really cared about was the weekly phone call from my aunt that filled us in on his location and safety. Over the five years that the United States have been at war, I can recall only a few times I had current knowledge of what was going on. All of these times were for school assignments. While they are interesting and compelling assignments, I find that afterwards I did not care to research or stay current with events.
Since the presidential campaign dominates the current media outlets, the candidates opinions are the basis of my own personal opinions on the media of the war. Democrats want out, Republicans want to stay. I find the media coverage specifically highlighting the politicians is dry and boring. I have absolutely no interest in sitting in front of the TV listening to a 30 minute speech about why or why not we should be in Iraq and Afghanistan. I understand that there are not many alternatives, but a schmoozing speech with eloquent words and phrases is not necessary. I would love to watch a five-minute talk where a candidate says “I want this, because of this, and I think this should happen, and this is why.” Quick, simple, and to the point. But that’s not what American politics are like today. Democrats and Republicans automatically have a bias; whether our current candidates hold true to the traditional labels, another debate is in order. Bottom line is that the media coverage on either side of the political spectrum will definitely have bias. Another aspect to political side of the media is it fails to delve into the personal and human aspect to war. These politicians give extravagant and promising speeches about pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan or pulling through to victory, but they leave out the families who have been and still are being affected.
I have had one family member deployed to Iraq; my uncle is a marine. He was on reserve and was called into duty. It was a long eight months when he was over there, but even then I didn’t pay attention to the news or the reports of what was happening over there. All I really cared about was the weekly phone call from my aunt that filled us in on his location and safety. Over the five years that the United States have been at war, I can recall only a few times I had current knowledge of what was going on. All of these times were for school assignments. While they are interesting and compelling assignments, I find that afterwards I did not care to research or stay current with events.
Stop-Loss...who will be the first to blog it?
It will no doubt be a while before I see Stop-Loss (if I ever see it on the big screen). Who will be the first to blog about it here?
In week 2 we are all going to be on a mission to find some positive things going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's too easy to find people throwing rocks at our mission there...I've been trying hard! The only positive stuff I can find is from Dick Cheney's personal blog: whyiamtherealdrevil.blogger.com.
In week 2 we are all going to be on a mission to find some positive things going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's too easy to find people throwing rocks at our mission there...I've been trying hard! The only positive stuff I can find is from Dick Cheney's personal blog: whyiamtherealdrevil.blogger.com.
Dith Pran and the Killing Fields
It seems like ancient history to many of us, but the Cambodian civil war (1975-1979) was one of the most brutal conflicts the Earth has ever seen. You can make a pretty good argument that the war was a direct result of US intervention in Vietnam (right next door!) and the destabilization of a region (sound familiar?).
Dith Pran was a translator and partner to a NY Times journalist working in Cambodia at the time. Their story was captured in the 1984 film, The Killing Fields - it is an amazing film.
Dith Pran made it out of Cambodia after living in a concentration camp for years...he just died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. He was working as a photojournalist for the NY Times and lived in Woodbridge, NJ.
The NY Times has a tragic and compelling tribute to him, including his photographs and story. There is also a video made shortly before his death.
I'm not sure of the exact connection to our subject matter on a personal level (the comparisons between Vietnam/Cambodia and Iraq/? are not heartening), but he was a great man and the film is a very accurate portrayal of immense courage amidst horrific events. You can read and see more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/nyregion/31dith.html?ref=todayspaper
Dith Pran was a translator and partner to a NY Times journalist working in Cambodia at the time. Their story was captured in the 1984 film, The Killing Fields - it is an amazing film.
Dith Pran made it out of Cambodia after living in a concentration camp for years...he just died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. He was working as a photojournalist for the NY Times and lived in Woodbridge, NJ.
The NY Times has a tragic and compelling tribute to him, including his photographs and story. There is also a video made shortly before his death.
I'm not sure of the exact connection to our subject matter on a personal level (the comparisons between Vietnam/Cambodia and Iraq/? are not heartening), but he was a great man and the film is a very accurate portrayal of immense courage amidst horrific events. You can read and see more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/nyregion/31dith.html?ref=todayspaper
Welcome back to school...
Nice to see all the contributors piling in. Bb Vista has all the details for the course...this blog is our public face and 'thinking ground.'
One of my tangential curiosities is to see whether a real blog will help us converse more than the artificial blog/discussions in Vista. Judging by how quickly many of you have signed up for the blog, I'm hopeful.
I'll be using an RSS aggregator to read comments; most likely you'll hear from me via email, not through a multitude of posts to this blog. However, I do hope that this format will make it easier for me to keep up with the torrent of posts...
So please use this blog as a general discussion area...don't be limited by the required posts; if you find stories/resources/ideas that will be interesting to us, please contribute them.
One of my tangential curiosities is to see whether a real blog will help us converse more than the artificial blog/discussions in Vista. Judging by how quickly many of you have signed up for the blog, I'm hopeful.
I'll be using an RSS aggregator to read comments; most likely you'll hear from me via email, not through a multitude of posts to this blog. However, I do hope that this format will make it easier for me to keep up with the torrent of posts...
So please use this blog as a general discussion area...don't be limited by the required posts; if you find stories/resources/ideas that will be interesting to us, please contribute them.
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