I recently rented the movie Stop-Loss. While I appreciate the value of a military, I myself would be the last person to suit up for that type of role. I do not have a very strong sense of patriotism beyond the fact that I would like to maintain my lifestyle. In a way I envy people who can be so devoted to a nation – any nation – to the point that they are willing to put their life on the line. There is a pride in that that I have yet to experience. But back to topic.
This rental was a choice of my wife’s (it is rare to get her to go to the video store at all none-the-less participate in choosing something to watch, so who am I to argue). I wasn’t thrilled going in, not because I expected it to be bad, but because I had a sense of how things would play out and knew I wouldn’t be happy in the end. To that end, I was not disappointed. And as a result, my ire has been raised.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not and have never been a fan of our current administration. These people likely also know that I’ve never been a fan of the war in Iraq. While these sentiments are fairly popular these days, I recall days gone by where they were not and few seemed to share my frustration and disbelief. Unfortunately movies like this tend to just expose me to more ways to be baffled at what our executive branch seems to get away not only unpunished, but pretty much unfettered.
I will admit, that as far as movie reviews go, this isn’t really a good one. The trouble is that the politics are keeping me from being objective. I’ve seen and enjoyed movies that have opened my eyes to some mind-boggling aspects of our government’s history (e.g., Charlie Wilson’s War – excellent movie). But this one is a little too fresh and current. It touches on a nerve that is already a bit raw. But if your hackles are not as easily raised as mine, this movie was good and interesting to watch. The characters were very believable and the film might as well have been based on a true story.
While I agree that it is hard to take the administration or politics out of a movie like this, to some extent, it is important to do so. I agree that action needs to be taken, as shown by the movie. But what the movie also portrayed was soldiers, their families, their struggles. Sometimes it is hard for those of us that don’t have loved ones over there to think about the war in terms of generalities. We might hate the war, we might feel for those who have given their lives, to those who have been injured. But it doesn’t feel quite personal enough. Movies like this do touch a raw nerve….. or expose one. They make it personal. They bring someone in your living room, introduce you, and then show you the gritty experience of returning from war. We need movies like this. We need our soldiers in our living room. Whether you agree with the war, are patriotic or not, these men and women deserve to be known. These men deserve more than we give them.
I am not one for this war. But these men and women have served, have done what their government has asked them to, and done it with honor and pride. These men and women deserve proper medical care. These men deserve PTSD treatment. These men and women deserve homes. They do not deserve to be forgotten. So, even though the war is a hot button issue for me, the worse issue is the way our soldiers are cast aside when they return.
These men and women have my focus. These men and women have my support. These men and women have my honor.