England is a country that is full of history, a history where battles have been won and where battles have been lost. I personally have no time for war, and believe that violence does not find answers. As a young boy, I used to sit at my Grandfathers side and listen to his war stories for hours upon end, intrigued and amazed by the pride and passion that war had brought to him. I would sit by his side, listening to stories of him running from bombings and writing love letters to my grandma that each ended unaware if he would see her again. These stories would amaze me as each one started and ended with pain yet he was proud of each moment. I however have come to learn that my grandfather was one of the few who did not suffer from the war. He would sit up tall in his chair and boast about how proud he was to fight for his country. In many ways I can understand my Grandfather and relate to why he was so proud to give his life for the queen, yet is it necessary? As I have grown into a teenager and more importantly a man, I have discovered my own personal feeling on war. War is a way for countries/states/men to be the boss. What I mean by that is, everyone wants to be sitting on top of the hill. People fight for greed, for revenge and more importantly to be in control. War however is not the answer. After studying film for the last three years, I have discovered that Hollywood glamorizes war as well as commercial advertising of war. War is not about the glitz and glamour but about honest lives being taken and ruined. My personal view on war is one of a negative nature and so to is the glamorization that comes with it. After searching for an article that related to the glamorization of war on children I came across http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL072458220080107 in which Avril Ormsby of Reuters looked into the role the army was playing with children. Avril pointed out that the British army has been glamorizing the “Action man” side of the war to children. They had been glamorizing the war due to their negative publicity from the Iran/Afghanistan war. Avril goes on to point out that the British Army will visit around 1,000 schools a year, where they will discuss and glamorize the prospect of joining the army. This to me is a perfect definition of war, it demonstrates the very little care the army has for the people who are in fact fighting the war and more concern for who is sitting on top of the hill. In a world with so many problems as it is, should war be another one added to the list? My personal answer is no.
The picture I posted is of the British troops landing in Afghanistan’s. Currently the British army is appealing to children as young as 7 years old. The army glamorizes the war to these children by changing words such as kill to decisive strike.
5 comments:
I too would sit by my grandfather's side and listen to his comments on the war. I always loved to listen to his stories and I idolized him so much for being so courageous in a time where many were not. I agree with you when you say that war is a way for people to be the boss. Though I am proud to be an American, I know, like I said in my post, that there are times when America gets involved when they do not need to. Everyone wants to be the best, at any cost. I also agree with you about the glamorization of war; war is not like many people think it is. It is a horrible time when men and women give their lives for their country.
I understand the sentiment of fighting for your country in a time of war. It is a noble and honnorable thing to do. I also agree that film makers and government promotions tend to cross the line when it comes to their portreyal of war. Their glamoriztion of war hides the true pain that exists as a result of war. Families loose parents, brothers, sisters, and friends that give their lives for their country. Movies make war seem like Rambo, an immortal warrior who always defeats the bad guys.
I agree with your view on war and how it is glamorized by Hollywood. I do think that some people see war as something sacred and of personal value; something to be proud of…to be fighting for your own country, but that is just the surface. War is raw and traumatizing. People watch people get murdered and massacred, others do the killing themselves. How is killing in a war different from killing someone in a normal day? Both a soldier and a criminal are murderers. War is only glamorized to attract people to join the army, if war was a good thing, it wouldn’t have to be glamorized to attract people to it.
It’s interesting that you have finally come to this realization, that war is not necessary, when you have grown up hearing stories about the pride your grandfather had for his own involvement in the fight to preserve his country. I actually have a great deal of respect for someone who is able to rise above a family tradition and find your own way in the world. I had a very different experience with my great-grandfather, who was a passive participant in World War II. Instead of being drafted to actually fight in combat, he served his country by running the train stations that shipped the soldiers off to war. My family was fortunate to have kept him at home, but it definitely contributes to my inability to wrap my mind around the reality of war.
This was a great post, Jack, and an excellent discussion among the group!
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