Militainment, Inc.

      Militainment- Movies, toys, music, posters etc. all concerned with war.  Militainment for me is making war look easy, and as if it is a light breezy issue, when it really isn't and shouldn't be taken lightly at all.  One quote from the movie really disturbed me.  One news reporter said "the county is going to war, the country's most popular basketball is scheduled to begin and the academy awards are scheduled, what will we cover?"  And guess what got more coverage? The academy awards..  People will die, they will be injured!  And what does the country care about?  Celebrities and their stupid awards.  They would rather concern themselves with awards, and the celebrities, then their brothers, sister, uncles and aunts, that end up fighting in the war.  Toby Keith sings "We'll put a boot up your a$$, cause thats the American way."  How egotistical, naive and stupid those lyrics are.  Americans are perceived as take no prisoners, guys with big guns.  Is that how they want to be perceived?  With the shock and awe strategy, it seems as though they want that.  "Lets show them what Americans are about, big spectacles!"  To me thats not a war should be about, if war must exist.  Media should show the truth, the naive people of this generation should not turn on the t.v. to see a "beautiful light show," and think war.  They should see the suffering, death and pain, that surround war.  War isn't glamorous or, beautiful, and it shouldn't be portrayed as such.

      And when we do tune into the news, and see whats going on in the war, we don't "see" the war.  We see the "tremendous light show," we see the "shock and awe" strategie.  Nothing to show pain and suffering of the other side of the bombs. We don't see that.  We see the light show.  We see the fabricated rescues, we see the westerners hurt by the "merciless" suicide bombers, we never see the hurt of the other side.  We don't see the orphaned children, we don't see the tears, and blood.  We see the "clean war," the victimless war.  But there is never a victimless war, someone is always hurting.  Someone is always crying.  From both sides.  There is never a clean war.

Peace List Activity.

Are we a naturally violent society?
I don't believe, as a society, that we are naturally violent.  Individually, some are more prone to violence then others.  I also think that t.v. shows, video games, celebrities and other things can influence society for the worse.
Does the absence of war or violence mean that we have peace? Why or why not? 
It depends on what kind of peace.  To a certain extent stopping war, and violence will mean we have peace, but on the other hand there will be always something to fight about.  And fighting doesn't necessarily mean with war or violence but with other means that aren't very peaceful
Do you think that all students should study peace and the underlying causes of violence in school? Why or why not?
I do think that all student should learn about peace, and violence.  If they understand why violence happens, then they will understand how to control it in a positive way.
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Hello =)

Hi, I'm Cian, and I'm seventeen years old.  I have always been interested in peace, and alternative thinking.  I've always had a passion for helping things, animals or people, and that is what I want to devote my life too.  I have traveled to Honduras twice in the past, with a highschool group, to work in a couple orphanages, and given supplies to a hospital.  And just this summer I traveled alone to Costa Rica to work in a dog shelter for 4 weeks.  I hope to get inspired by this course, and learn a lot the world, and also myself!