For two weeks now I've been meaning to watch a movie. Not too long ago I bought a couple of DVD's that I still haven't watched yet. They're just old favourites that I'd like to see again. But, everytime I turn on the TV I find that it's tuned to CNN and I never seem to make it past there. I'm not entirely sure why, but this coverage of the war has me absolutely riveted.
The reason it seems strange to me is mostly because I'm one of those people that lives in their own little world without looking too much at what's going on around them. Does that make me selfish? Likely it does, but that's the way I've always been. The problem (in my eyes) with what's going on around me is that it's depressing, it's scary and it's stuff I'd rather not know about. I almost never watch the news because all they seem to report are the following: a) murders b) theft c) drug busts d) rapists on the loose and other equally depressing things. I've always found watching the news is a sure fire way to make myself depressed. Feeling too happy? That's ok, the news is on several times a day, that'll fix me! So, I avoid it.
I don't know why the war has me so interested. In general I don't think much of the way the United States bullies the world. This war was not supported by the UN, but they went off to war anyway, which proves my point entirely. The Americans have it in their heads that they need to do something about the so-called problem in Iraq so they're over there doing something about it. Whatever, I'm not going to go back to debating whether or not the war is right. It's too late for that now, there's a war going on, so second guessing it isn't going to solve anything, it only serves to upset people.
While watching CNN one day I saw an interview with a woman who is the mother of one of the American POWs. She went off topic slightly to try and impress upon protestors that they need to stop protesting, and instead support the kids that are over there fighting. This army is a volunteer army, they were not drafted. Therefore each and every one of them wants to be there to serve their country. They feel as though they're doing the right thing, and that they're helping. While they're probably not hearing much about anti-war protests, if they were, that would have to hurt, wouldn't it? I know when someone makes light of something I believe strongly about it stings a bit. And I'm sure that the strength of my beliefs generally is not anywhere close to the patriotism of these soldiers. Then there's the families that are sitting at home waiting to hear if their loved ones are safe. And also waiting to see if giving up their loved ones (for a brief time and in some cases forever) has had an effect. Those people must absolutely burn with anger when they hear people saying what's going on is wrong. If it was me, I'm positive I would be. I'd been thinking that very same thing for days as I was watching CNN cover protests that were happening all over the States. But hearing someone that was involved say it out loud with tears in her eyes, made me wonder about people.
People like Michael Moore, who stand up at the Oscars and make ridiculous statements, people like those who have been lying in the streets to stop traffic, the people in California who actually got violent at a protest the day the war started. What the hell are those people thinking?
Changing topics slightly, this war has been the most interesting thing I've ever seen happen. When I was in school I took my one required history credit and that was it, I spent most of my time in French classes and in the Science labs, and didn't take any history at all. The one history class I had was mostly Canadian history and it was one of my many required French classes. I don't remember much about it at all actually, except that our teacher Monsieur Legault used to make us change our seats periodically, and that we once played this really interesting game. At the time I had no idea what we were doing, but it turns out that after it was all done, we'd just re-created WW2. It was very interesting. And this new war has been equally interesting to me, due mostly to the embedded reporters I think. Say what you want about making the war look like a movie or a television show, but how on earth did we manage to keep up to date with anything before we had reporters out there with each unit?
My favourite part of the coverage so far was when Walt Rogers was travelling with his unit across the desert towards Baghdad, and they showed it. The camera was on, and we watched them travel across the desert. It was absolutely compelling. I think I sat and watched them go across the desert for hours on end, when I eventually had to go to bed that night I was upset that I might miss something. When I woke up the next day I rushed to get the television back on so that I could see if they were still travelling. Then I found that they were doing something even more fantastic. They had that unit (I forget which one it was now sadly), still travelling across the desert, and then in a split screen they had a shot of Northern Iraq, right at the border of the Kurdish occupation. On one side you could see the Kurds holding their territory, then across a river on some hills you could see Iraqi army guys looking at something with great interest. That was my favourite image. And honestly, I'm not sure it had anything to do with the war. But it was absolutely brilliant to see two completely separate areas of the country and the differences between them. I know I'll never go to Iraq, so it's interesting to see.
I know this is fairly rambling and probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but I've been feeling like writing about the war for quite a while now, and I just haven't done it. Why? Mostly because it's everywhere, not only on my TV but pretty much on everyone elses too. Everyone knows what's going on, and if they don't, then they're doing their damndest to avoid it. Also, I haven't been feeling very clear headed about anything lately, and if you think this is rambling and incoherent, my thoughts have been even more so in past days.
My final thought is that I am incredibly relieved that the Americans have managed to recover Jessica Lynch. I don't know her, I never will, but she's a very young girl who went over to defend her country and fought hard not to be captured. She was injured and, the Iraqis didn't treat her, in fact if reports that were released yesterday are to be believed they were actually considering cutting her leg off rather than try to treat the bullet wound that was in her leg. Her entire town rejoiced when they heard she was safe, and the governor of her state has since assured her parents that she'll have a full scholarship to college whenever she wants it. When I heard that people had been captured I was scared for them, moreso when I found out there were also women who'd been captured. I know that perhaps I shouldn't feel that way, but I can't help it. To me it's still a bit foreign to have girls as soldiers, and to think that they could be treated terribly because they're the enemy. Anyway, I'm so glad she's safe, I hope she recovers from the gunshot wounds, and is home with her family safe and sound very soon. Also, I hope that each and every other soldier that's been captured is brought home safely as well.
Completely off topic. I hate ice pellets, I hate snow and I hate winter. It's supposed to be spring dammit!
Posted by Michelle at April 4, 2003 10:03 PM