Library plays host to war documentaries
Fifteen people turned out for a double feature of Iraq War films.
Published Nov. 3, 2006
The Iraq War, ever since its inception, has stood as a divisive issue facing the American public. With the Nov. 7 elections approaching, Linda Green of the Mid-Missouri Women's International League for Peace and Freedom felt the time was right to take her stance on the issue.
Green organized the showing of two films, "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" and "The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends," at the Daniel Boone Regional Library on Nov. 1, both of which were free and open to the public.
Green saw one of the movies at the event of another Democratic organization and then found out they were available to be played anywhere.
"I went to the CODEPINK Web site, and I found out that if I ordered one, I could get the other for free, so I decided to show both," she said. CODEPINK is a women's peace organization.
"Iraq for Sale," a documentary from Robert Greenwald, the director of "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," explores the role of private corporations in the reconstruction of Iraq and features interviews with soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children regarding the alleged egregious actions of contractors and their effects on the military.
"The Ground Truth" focuses on the post-traumatic stress many soldiers experience once they have returned home from the war. The stories and testimony that composes the film came mostly from Iraq War veterans and their families, who told chilling accounts of soldiers experiencing crushing bouts of depression or unprovoked incidents of violence.
Though the films were undoubtedly emotionally taxing — one viewer was left in tears following "The Ground Truth" — Green said she feels the public needs to be exposed to the topics brought up in these films.
"Corporations are controlling our government and the press," she said. "Therefore there is a lot of money being made in Iraq, and many people are being supported by the war so it's going to take grassroots to get the word out."
Former non-combat Marine Archie Bluemhorist identified with the soldiers in "The Ground Truth" who had trouble adjusting to a civilian lifestyle.
"You've got no respect for life because you're taught that everything is your enemy, and that something always has to be demonized," he said. "I hope that we realize that war is over resources, and that we should try to buy things rather than fight for them."
The showing of the film almost a week before the elections was deliberately planned. Although both films were already shown at Ragtag Cinemacafé, Green feels like information still has an audience to reach.
"The timing of the movie was very conscious," she said. "I think the mainstream press doesn't show the truth, and the public needs to see the truth."
And despite the fact that the turnout wasn't what Green had hoped for — about 15 people viewed the films — she believes the event still had its desired effect.
"I know that there are many people here that are going to have their beliefs affirmed by these films," she said.