GIs’ Videos Create a Disturbing Picture

Re “Extreme Cinema Verite,” Column One. March 14: I just read the column detailing how our military personnel in Iraq are taking graphic and gory battle footage and making it into music videos. Is it possible that our military in Iraq consists of a bunch of trigger-happy yahoos? Given this disgusting scenario and also the various incidents of “accidental” shootings of our allies and Iraqi civilians, it’s beginning to look that way.

Dan Fidelman

Palm Desert

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That these obscene artifacts of war have the capacity to surprise and shock the families and friends of the soldiers who created them merely testifies to how successfully our society suppresses the reality and truth of this obscene endeavor.

In the end, however, only such unwelcome liftings of the veil to confront societies with the consequences of their policies can serve to alter the collective consciousness enough to begin to change those policies.

On with the show!

Tim Hebb

Sherman Oaks

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I read about personally edited videos showing death in combat, set to music and traded around like baseball cards. Soldiers justify this action because, as a soldier in the article says, “This isn’t some jolly freakin’ peacekeeping mission.” Is that really a justification? To me it’s another example of normally honorable and law-abiding individuals being driven to desperate acts because of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

Though they should not be acting in this manner, they should not be held accountable.

Ultimately they are there on the orders of one man who, ultimately, should be held responsible. Our president and his wealthy supporters continue to get rich off this war while our young men in arms are driven into moral bankruptcy.

Charlie Fox

Rancho Palos Verdes

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That soldiers create videos of their exploits, that they watch them for entertainment and that they are immune to the carnage should not come as a great surprise. More startling and disturbing is the ignorance of war displayed by a soldier’s wife, who was shocked by “body parts missing, bombs going off and people getting shot.” She watches the news but “didn’t realize there was that much violence.”

Who do we blame for sanitizing war seen by American viewers. The government? The media? Heaven forbid that we should be allowed to understand the consequences of taking the “fight for freedom” to Iraq. Instead, the less we know of war the easier it is to start one, and even a soldier’s wife can be shocked that war could be so violent.

David Jonathan

Santa Barbara

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Making videos of death as entertainment is not new. In pornography it is known as a snuff film.

Don Tonty

Los Angeles