Stories not carried by CNN
While I was in Dubai the USS Ronald Reagan was in town. I went into a bar full of sailors and they saw the 1st CAV patch on my 3-Day bag. We got into discussions about the war and I was not surprised to hear from them that they only hear the worst of what happens here. Just like everyone at home, they don't read anymore, they just get all their news from electronic sources like CNN, and CBS, et al.
These MSM entities don't publish good news because "If it bleeds, it leads". Bad news is page one, good news is page three filler. As a result most people don't know about the good that has been done here or how the Army goes about it's day to day business.
I have posted the first in a series of photos showing some of our Civil Affairs group putting gravel down at an Iraqi school. That may not seem like a big deal to you but to a child who has nothing but a dirty, dusty place to play, it is wonderful. I know these soldiers and I know the photographer. These are not staged photos. This is the real Army and these are real smiles.
I also know EXACTLY where that gravel came from. For the rest of the story check out this link.
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/apr2006/p042406a1.html
posted by flythemig29 at 6:22 AM
6 Comments:
I think the reason the bad stuff (ie Americans being killed) is covered more is because it's more important to American citizens. SSG Jim helps build a school for people who are not citizens of the country he signed up to defend, SSG Jim is killed and his two year old daughter and 3 year old son are fatherless. Which matters more to you as an American? My personal opinion... the Army isn't supposed to be a Federalized charity organization.
I understand your opinion and had some of the same reservations at first until I saw the benefit of this type of operation. We will probably never convince the current generation of our good intentions but if the children see us in a different light and do not want to fight us then our children will not have to fight either. Like having a nuclear deterrent force, Civil Affairs is an effort to wage peace through agressive action.
Yeah I know what you're saying. It all boils down to will the inherent distrust within their religion override the good intentions of our society. So do we trust a society that sided with the Nazis during WW2. Germany has changed but sentiments in the Mid East towards "Zionists" are still pretty similar. With that inherent hatred built in, we'll have to be there longer than 10 years to affect the culture that much.
"....So do we trust a society that sided with the Nazis during WW2."
We trusted the French and they screwed us on two fronts. To the Germans and at the same time to the Japanese in then French Indochina. I agree with flythemig29, we have to be there, not as "a Federalized charity orgaization" but to do all we can to make sure it gets done right. What we did in Vietnam had long term positive effects in the region and on our safety as a nation. Today there are good and respectful relations between America and people in the region (half of them are my In-Laws). I believe that the same will come to be in the M.E. And yes, we will be there for a long time. But it will get better for everyone with time.
Thought I'd post here and let you know what a great and important job it is that you and the military are doing over there.
I see helping the Iraqi people as an investment for our future, as you stated in your response to anon. The better our neighbors (ie. other countries) do, the better off we all are; and countries do better when they have freedom and democracy. Success in Iraq does make America safer.
And I see mainstream media as a mixed bag of "if it bleeds it leads" type of journalism, liberal bias, and on occasion, an anti-Bush, anti-war agenda. And it kind of feeds itself.
I came here by way of skye of midnightblue, btw.
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