Nothing is easier than self-defeat. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. (Demosthenes)

Let me start by saying that there are not too many things that really get me riled up. I hate prejudice, I hate small-mindedness, and above all else, I hate liars. Today I saw something on television that had me absolutely livid. This post is probably going to ruffle some feathers, but I have something that I need to get off my chest.

Tonight I was at my best friend's house for our weekly get together. We had just finished watching Gossip Girl when a commercial came on about paralyzed Iraq War veterans. (I warned you, this is going to get controversial). The 30 second PSA featured a veteran who spent more time working to get out of Iraq than actually fighting in it. After being wounded and paralyzed from the neck down he had to go through all sorts of customs and technicalities just to get home. It was a sad story, told in an unusually upbeat tone. Over countless clips of wounded soldiers the narrator discussed the honor and dignity of giving one's all in the fight against terrorism. The commercial ended with a shot of the featured veteran stating that if he was asked serve again, he would.

I looked at my friend in shock, to which she replied, "I wonder how much he got paid to say that?"

It was a simple question, but it really got me thinking about the role the media plays in presenting information to the public. Based on this 30 second clip, one would think that all veterans were happy to have sacrificed years of their lives fighting for a cause that many people don't believe in. I'm not saying that everyone is dissatisfied with the time they served, but wouldn't it be fair to throw in someone who was? The commercial made it look as though the soldiers were actually happy to have been paralyzed while abroad.

I've had friends die in war, and I've seen men come back from battle scarred, and it's not the pretty picture that the media presented. I searched YouTube for a clip of the PSA but couldn't find anything, so I decided to provide the first part of a documentary on the subject instead.



I know that I've gone on quite a rant here, but I would really appreciate hearing your opinion. Do you think coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom has been fair? Leave me a comment and let me know.